


To Build A Home

by PiccioneHato



Category: Voltron - Fandom, Voltron Legendary Defender, vld - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Baby Keith (Voltron), Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Krolia, OC, Pregnancy, Voltron Lions - Freeform, blue lion - Freeform, blue lion of voltron, keith’s dad has a name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-07-13 00:17:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 91,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16006304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PiccioneHato/pseuds/PiccioneHato
Summary: There is no other way to describe a situation like the one at hand than sheer dumb luck. Just under one Earth year ago, a high ranking Blade operative had been sent undercover on a scouting trip. One enforced by Emperor Zarkon. Their goal; to find the five lions of Voltron.Things really could not possibly be worse than being stuck on an alien planet with only one place to stay for the duration of your mission. Unless, of course, you count that one accident.





	1. The Start of it All

There is no other way to describe a situation like the one at hand than sheer dumb luck. Just under one Earth year ago, a high ranking Blade operative had been sent undercover on a scouting trip. One enforced by Emperor Zarkon. Their goal; to find the five lions of Voltron. 

 

***

 

The Red Lion, forming Voltron's right arm, had been found on a deadly, lifeless, magma filled planet. Sentries preformed multiple scans, ran through numerous tests, and had done extensive research until one small bit of information was found. The energy signature— or energy source as Earth's inhabitants seem to prefer to call it. Though it was a small amount of knowledge, it was enough to send thousands of scouts out to all corners of the known universe.  
Each were looking for a match. A signature identical to the one of the Red Lion. A simple task. Fly to your designated Galaxy, use the close range scanners, and find a lion.  
Krolia, the blade member stated before, was on her own mission. One assigned to her by her commanding operative, Kolivan. If a lion was found, they were to obtain visual confirmation, take out the rest of their scouting crew and report back to the blades.  
Unfortunately, the planet on which the Blue lion was found was already inhabited by other beings. These beings, however, were strange, primitive creatures compared to the Galra.  
In an attempt to destroy the other scout in her party to keep the lion from the Galra Empire, Krolia's ship became severely damaged. She tried her best to steady the ship, but the controls were unresponsive. She inevitably crashed into the surface of the planet.  
   Everything around the ship was blurred due to its increasing acceleration, but it's pilot managed to make out rocky hills. That's all they were able to see before it all went black.  
The Galran had blacked out just before the crash, and was only awoken by a clashing noise from outside of her spacecraft. The sound of metal on metal.  
Ever so slowly, she forced her eyes open, focusing on the source of the sound.  
A dim, yellow-blue light spilled into the cockpit of the ship, illuminating her surroundings.  
A shadow appeared between her and the outside world.  
No, not a shadow.  
A figure.  
A living being.  
The creature had said something she didn't quite understand, something she didn't catch. Her ears had been ringing for some time now, but she had only just noticed it when what she assumed was the creature's mouth moved yet no sound came out.  
Despite her best efforts, she could barely keep her head up, much less her eyes open. Countless questions ran through her mind. Who was this being? Were they here to help her? Kill her? Did they know of the Blue Lion?  
Suddenly, there was a loud creaking sound as the hull of the ship was broken by the being on the outside.  
Her eyelids grew heavy, she might just as well pass out again, but something pulled her back. She felt herself become weightless. Something lifted her up and out of the damaged and cluttered cockpit.  
The creature began speaking again. This time she heard it. This time she understood it.  
"You're going to be alright." The voice said.  
How strange. How odd. The two species had never before interacted yet they could understand one another. Or at least she could understand him.  
Krolia was unsure of how much time had passed between hearing the voice of the other being until opening her eyes again. A shiver of panic rushed over her and she sat right up, breathing heavily.  
"Whoa... Easy now...." The same voice came from her right. It was a calm tone. One similar to the one used during her rescue.  
As she blinked the exhaustion from her eyes, she looked around at her surroundings. She appeared to be in a bed, the soft, fabric sheets gently pulled over her. The location was unknown, but the bed was in a small room with two large windows to her right. To her left, a shelving complex with a black box on top. A camera? Was she being recorded? Watched? Her eyes traveled from corner to corner until her gaze was fixed on the other being. "Who are you?! Where am I??" She ordered.  
   The creature to her right made no effort of protest and answered her questions. "My name," he said slowly, pointing to himself, "is Steven Kogane. You're on Earth. That's what we call this planet."  
   "But who?!" She repeated the question, emphasizing the 'who', wanting more information. "Who are you with?! Galra?!"  
   "I'm not sure what else you want me to tell you, Ma'am..." the creature replied honestly. "If it's my species you want, I am human. I never head of this 'galra' before."  
   There was silence between them. A deathly silence, one that could drive one mad.  
   "Maybe," the creature cautiously began, "you could tell me who you are. Name an' all..."  
   "No!" Krolia snapped, narrowing her eyes, telling the human she would do no such thing. "I do not trust you. And you do not trust me. I will give no information."  
   "Well... Maybe you could answer one question." He held out a knife out to her, but kept it out of her reach. "Why would a species like yours use knives and not something more advanced?"  
   Krolia immediately panicked. Her blade was with this human creature. Not with her. That was her identity. Her mission had been compromised. "Give it here!" She ordered reaching for the blade. As she thought, the being holding the blade stepped back. She tried again, reaching her hand out again, but pulled it back as a shot if pain pulsed through her side. Her hands went immediately to her side.  
   "When I pulled you out of the wreckage, you had a rather large piece of metal protruding from your side." He explained, placing the knife down on the ledge below the window. "I did my best to patch ya' up but without knowing your biology, all I could do were some stitches."  
   The Galran slowly removed her hands from her side, noticing a thick, white clothe had been taped down over the wound.  
   "Is it bleedin'?" The earthling asked compassionately. "You might've opened it with the sudden movement."  
   "It'd be your fault!" She hissed.  
   "Ma'am, please. I don't want to hurt ya'. I want to help."  
   Krolia sighed, motioning for the creature to check on the status of the wound. Never once saying a word.  
   Carefully, he sat next to her and slowly removed the gauze patch.  
   She grimaced in pain, feeling her skin peel apart near the wound. Then a trickle of hot liquid slowly made it's way down her side.  
   "I'm going to need to redo these..." he informed her. "I'll help you downstairs to the bathroom. I'd rather do it there than here."  
   Not wanting to refuse a better look at this place, she agreed.  
   Steven, he said his name was, helped her to stand and led her down to the main floor. The stairs faced a wall across the open floor. A door to the right, leading to the outside world, and another to the left. A room closed off to the rest of the house behind it. Next to the room, there was an area with multiple appliances, a kitchen maybe. If front of this 'kitchen', was a small circular table and a chair. Between that and the main door, a large brick structure with a small hole by the floor, as well as another black box, one identical to the one upstairs, and a long piece of furniture. All of this was so strange to her. Not to mention the lack of doors and walls for each room.  
   The human took her to the back of the place, opening the door to reveal a bathroom. He helped her onto the counter near the sink and pulled out a white box.  
   "Let me know if I hurt ya'." He took out a thin metal object and some string like material.  
   After removing the gauze patch, he wetted a clothe with water, dabbing it on the wound to clean it. Since he was unable to use any real medicine, a wash with water would have to do.  
   Taking the needle, he threaded it and began stitching the wound back together.  
   The whole process took a while, but it was most definitely worth it. After the wound had been stitched back up, Steven gently placed another gauze patch over it, keeping it in place with the medical adhesive tape.  
   Krolia gently pulled the loose shirt she was wearing down over the wound, and took a deep breath.  
   "That feels better, right?" Steven asked her.  
   Lowering her gaze, she mumbled something she hoped she wouldn't regret. "Krolia..."  
   "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that..." he apologized, looking to the alien for her to repeat what she had said.  
   "Krolia." She repeated. "My name is Krolia."  
   "Krolia?" The human thought for a moment and smiled. "Thank you, Krolia for telling me your name."  
   She only nodded in response.  
   "Would you like something to eat, Krolia?" He asked, adding her name at the end to be more polite.  
   "To... eat...?"  
   "Yeah. Eat." He mimicked the action with his hands and mouth. "Food. Sustenance."  
   "I know what eating is." She muttered. "It's just..." Krolia looked to him with somewhat kind eyes, ones gentler than before. "No one has ever asked that before."  
   "Well, there's a first for everything, Krolia." Steven smiled at her kindly, helping her off the counter and seated her at the table near the presumed kitchen. "Tell ya' what. I make you food and in return you answer a few questions."  
   "No. I'd rather starve."  
   "I'll give you your knife." He added, holding up her luxite blade and placing it on the counter.  
   Krolia thought long and hard about this offer. "Only if you answer as well...."  
   "Deal."

 

***

 

   "A robotic lion?" Steven asked in disbelief. "You can't be serious."  
   "I am." Krolia told him, barely waiting more than a second before continuing. "A Voltron Lion is on this planet and very near to your location. My scanners picked it up before I crashed."  
   "Look, Krolia. I know your species is much more advanced than my own, but I'm sure we would have known about a giant robot living on our planet."  
   The Marmoran shook her head. "This is why I waited so long to tell you.... The Lions of Voltron are mysterious ships. Even consider beings themselves among some. They link with their chosen Paladin through a mental bond of trust. Being created from one similar comet, each has its distinct energy sequence, yet all match one another's in one way or another."  
   Krolia began to go more in depth with her explanation, describing the Lions' history and functions, as well as their abilities and powers.  
   "So... What you're saying is a giant, metal cat is on this planet and we never knew about it?" Steven asked in dire need of clarification.  
   "I'm not surprised you and your kind never found the lion. They are rumored to only emit signals in a non dormant state."  
   "Non... dormant...?  
   "When they have a paladin, they are believed to emit strong amounts of energy. Possibly a signal to the other lions. No one knows for sure..."  
   "And you are here to try find the lion on this planet?"  
   Krolia nodded, "I will find the lion and I will not stop until I do. That lion cannot fall into the wrong hands!"  
A moment of silence passed before Steven nodded and said, "What do you need me to do?"

 

***

 

Months had passed since the two began their search for the Lion. The scanner they were using was a modified GPS tracker Krolia had reprogramed to find emissions of energy from the spacecraft itself.  
Their best bet so far was inside a cave. It had taken them days alone to find an entrance, but once they were in, the two were determined to find the Lion.  
"What are these...?" Steven asked, feeling the walls.  
"Those are the lion carvings I was telling you about. They are almost identical to those of the volcanic channels of the Red Lion."  
Krolia placed a hand on the walls, closing her eyes as she did so.  
"What are you—"  
"Quiet." She whispered harshly. "I need silence..."  
Suddenly, she pulled her hand from the wall, staggering back before Steven caught her.  
"Are you alright?!" He asked her, his voice fraught with worry.  
The Galran nodded, steadying herself.  Krolia looked to her hand, as she felt a rush of energy move through her veins. "She's telling me where to go. I know her location."  
"Her...? You mean the warship?"  
"Yes. The Blue Lion." Without finishing her sentence, she was already making her way through another passage.  
"How did you get that from a carving...?" He asked as he followed closely behind Krolia.  
"The Lions are beings themselves. They have cognitive abilities. When bonded with a Lion, the Paladin can hear it's thoughts." Pausing in her steps she hung her head, "I however am not her Paladin. The only reason I was able to hear her was because she knows why I am here. She was—"  
"Reaching out to you..."  
"Exactly." The way in which Steven was able to finish her thoughts for her made her proud of him, but also safe, knowing if need be, she could leave him to protect the lion.  
The path they took lead down deeper into the cavern, snaking around endless walls and pools of water. The two finally made it to their destination.  
"I never thought I would have the honor to see another Lion in my lifetime." Krolia breathed out, amazed and mesmerized by the beast in front of her.  
Steven was most certainly flabbergasted by the craft. "You've been telling me about this ship for months, but this..." he paused, taking in the view, "this is beyond words..."  
Krolia kept her eyes on the lion, a large part of her could not believe she had found it. And with a primitive no less.  
"Does this mean..." Steven stopped himself, looking back at her, "Krolia...?"  
She blinked multiple times before finally looking to the human.  
"Does this mean you're going to contact your people and continue your mission...?"  
Despite being new to human emotions, she sensed sadness in his voice, loneliness even. "No..." Krolia stepped towards the lion so she was standing next to the man. "I have a new mission now," her eyes slowly went from the lion to Steven, "I am going to stay here and protect the Blue Lion..."  
Silence. Utter silence.  
Then some calming feeling rushed over her. A touch to her hand by his. He held her hand gently in his own, smiling compassionately with determination in his eyes.  
"I want to help."  
That's all he had said. But it was enough. Her facial features softened, a smile appeared on her lips. She wasn't alone. She had help. His help.  
As if agreeing with his choice, the Blue Lion let out a low purring sound.  
"I, like you, am no Paladin," Steven said, "but I believe the Lion supports my choice."  
"You might just be right..." ever so slowly, Krolia took her hand back and placed it on the forcefield around the Lion. "We will protect her. She needs us more than ever..."

 

***

 

   In the months that had passed, Krolia and Steven grew close. They formed a bond with one another, one deeper than that of teammates. Deeper than even simple friends.  
   It had taken much coaxing-and on some occasions pleading- from Steven, but Krolia had agreed to teach the Earthling all there was to know about her past, her kind, the Blades and even Galran technology interface. In return, Steven taught her all she needed to know about his people, Earth, their customs and tried his best to teach her right from wrong.  
   Both had made poor decisions in that time. For example, Steven nearly lost his life when he introduced Krolia to alcohol. The taste did not please her, and the way it burned her throat gave her right to think she had been poisoned. Many apologies followed.  
   Now, they had a new problem on their hands. One quite different from finding a robotic lion or earning one another's trust. A life changing, difficult, unforeseen problem.  
   The two sat across from one another at the small table, silence plagued the air around them.  
   "And you're absolutely sure this is urgent enough for me to stay back from my job for today?" Steven asked her. "You know how important—"  
   "Trust me, I know." She told him, her voice unwavering with seriousness.  
   The Earthing nodded and looked to Krolia. "So... What is this... 'problem' we have encountered? Is it to do with the lion?" Krolia shook her head. "The scanners?" Again, she shook her head. "Galra attack...?" He asked the last question with hesitation, hoping the answer was no.  
   "No... It's... It's more of a complication that a problem..."  
   Steven barely gave a nod, waiting for her to speak.  
   "I don't know how to say this... Quite frankly I don't know how in the world it happened, but—"  
   "The anticipation is killing me. Please just tell me what this problem, or complication or whatever you want to call it is."  
   "Alright..."  
   Despite her agreeing to share this newfound information, she had not yet spoken.  
   "I really would feel much better if you would just—"  
   "I'm pregnant, Steven." Krolia finally managed to say, cutting him off in the process.  
   "This is no time for jokes."  
   "Then it's a good thing I'm being serious."  
   "Krolia..." He paused to take a breath, "How are you so sure...?"  
   "I'm sure of it. I don't know all there is to my species' biology, but I would never mistake the signs of...." She trailed off, not sure if it was the right time for lengthy explanations or if a simple two word answer would do the trick.  
"I suppose that makes sense... But... How...? You are not human. And I am not Galran. It doesn't seem possible..."  
Krolia shook her head slowly, "I myself do not understand how this all happened, but what seems worse is that I have no knowledge of a way to undo it."  
Steven sat up straight, seemingly more intrigued by this new idea she had put forth. "Undo the... complication. You mean... get rid of it...?"  
"Yes. I've done my research, other than facilities in town, there is no other way than an inhumane way. Unless I resort to risking your Earth medication."  
Neither spoke another word. Their eyes trailed from each other, to their surroundings, to one another again. This action continued for some time before one finally spoke.  
"So... I guess the best plan of action is for us to figure out what to do."  
"Not 'us'." Krolia quickly argued. "This is my decision. Not yours."  
"But it is also my—"  
"No it's not!" She challenged.  
"But the child is—"  
"Steven! The decision is my own!" Krolia slammed her hands agains down on the table. "You are not the one who must carry the child, nor are you the one who will be forced to give birth to said child when it is all over!"  
"But being the father I would very much like to—"  
"For the last time, I am deciding what our course of action is! There will be no further debate on this!"  
"Yes, Krolia...." Steven quietly agreed. "Take your time, but tell me as soon as you have made your choice. Even if it takes days..." a sigh escaped his lips, "I will do as you ask."  
"We don't have time to take days to make a decision." Krolia informed brashly. "I apologize if I sound angered, but we simply do not have time. Based on the changes I have noticed... We only have a couple of days before there is... Visual evidence..."  
Minutes passed. Silent minutes. Krolia thought long and hard about her final choice. Without the benefit of having multiple days to make up her mind, she was forced to make all of her choices quickly, yet with firm belief that it was what she truly thought was best for her and the mission. This was not to be taken lightly. Steven sat in total silence, waiting as patiently as he could for her answer. Krolia knew what his answer was, and that only made matters worse. She had to trust that he would take her side no matter her decision.  
"Okay..." The Marmoran took a deep breath, finalizing her thoughts before placing her hands on the table in front of her. "Remember... This is my choice. You are not to try and sway me in any way. I've made up my mind and I need your support..."  
He gently took a hold of both of her hands, rubbing her fingers soothingly with his thumbs. "You have my full support no matter what you decide..."  
Krolia bit her lip, looking down at their intertwined fingers, feeling comforted by the warmth of his hands around her own. "I..." She slowly looked to Steven, feeling he was a better place to focus her attention on than simple hands. "I have decided to keep the child."  
Steven tried his best to show as little emotion as possible, but he was undoubtedly pleased with her decision. "Alright. Then it's final, you will go through with this, and I will gather the necessary supplies for our child."  
Krolia couldn't help but smile just a little after hearing how supportive he was being. But the use of 'our' in reference to the fetus brought about feelings of comfort and joy within her. Steven wasn't just taking her side, he was prepared to accept his new role as a father. He had to.  
They were a team now. They had been since she crashed a year ago. The two who started off on terrified and hostile terms. The Human and Galran who had put their pasts behind them to unite with one common goal.  
The Blue Lion had beed found, and now, they each had a new mission. A new life to protect.


	2. Chapter 2- Going In Blind

The two had not yet spoken since Steven's last words, instead, they were taking it all in. Letting the reality of the situation sink in. By now, the two had moved to the couch. It gave them a strange feeling of comfort. One stronger than just sitting across from one another at a table. Still, silence. Until, of course, Steven spoke up.  
"We should have a plan... Or at least facts to go forward on."  
"A... plan...?" Krolia raised a brow at his suggestion. "How could we have a plan."  
"All we need are, well, examples to go by. Your knowledge of your species and my knowledge of my own."  
"I suppose that could help, in theory... I'll be kind and let you go first."  
Steven let out a small chuckle, shaking his head as he did so. "Alright, fine. Have it your way." He thought for a brief moment of time. "As a first responder, I have quite an extensive knowledge on all things medical. For humans of course. From conception to birth it's approximately ten months. Give or take a week or two."  
"Ten months?!" Her eyes widened, shocked by the amount of time it all could take. "For Galra it's seven. And even then, most are born many weeks early due to advances in medicine. I can't imagine going through all of that for thee or four extra months"  
"Oh... So that's a problem..." He rubbed the back of his head, trying to think of a solution, yet none ever came. "All I can say is you are most definitely going to hope for the full ten. If the DNA is split half and half, the genes from me will still need all the time they can get."  
Krolia understood that. It wasn't rocket science. "Are there any... Side effects...?"  
"Side effects. Well I wouldn't call 'em side effects. But yes. Things do happen as a result of pregnancy."  
"And they are....?"  
"Oh. Right." Steven gave a little nod before answering her question. "It is different for each person, but sickness and nausea are inevitable. Cravings are also a big part of it. The rest is all reasonable, discomfort, tiredness, mood swings, an' of course you'll gain a few pounds as the fetus grows."  
With every word he said, the Galran's expression became more and more dissatisfied. "I've made a horrible decision...."  
"No, no. Not at all. It's not all that bad. After a few months you can feel them moving." He added with a hint of encouragement in his voice.  
"That sounds awful..." she sighed, disgruntled and displeased with the newfound information. "How..." she passed from only a second, "how long does it take, normally, to... you know..." Krolia moved her hands to her lower abdomen, slowly sliding them down her legs towards her knees.  
"To... what...?" Steven asked, looking at her with utter confusion.  
Instead of asking again, with words, she only continued the same motion with her hands a couple more times.  
Suddenly, it hit him. "Oh! You mean to give birth?" A victorious nod from Krolia prompted him to continue. "It really is dependent on the person and the circumstances. Anywhere from two hours to two days."  
"Please let it be no more than two hours. At least that is a typical time frame for my own species."  
"So we do have something in common!" The human said in an attempt to lighten the mood.  
"Shut up..." She hung her head, letting her forehead rest in her hands, letting out a long, exasperated sigh. "I am not ready for any of this..."  
"Krolia...." he placed a hand on her shoulder, "it would be helpful if you could give some insight on your own species. I know it's a lot to take in, but we will need your side of this if we hope to have any sort of plan."  
"Yeah... Of course..." She lifted her head and looked up to the ceiling, hoping to remember something of her species' biology and way of handling the reproduction process. "The way I figured it out, was by smells. As an ancient act of survival, back when the planets were all at war, expecting females would have heightened senses of smell, in hopes of finding safe, poison-free, blood-free, enemy-free places to stay."  
"That's certainly much more interesting than pain and nausea." Steven commented, now quite interested in what she had to say.  
Krolia nodded in agreement. "However, in recent years, we are prone to aggression during the later months in which we cary the child. Some say it has to do with the thousands of years spent with murderous upbringings." Immediately, she saw the fear growing in her lover's eyes. "I... I'm sorry. It's nothing serious, but it can happen."  
"Then I'll have to be prepared, won't I?"  
She nodded, giving a little smile, "We both will... But!" She exclaimed, realizing an important detail that would help lighten the mood. "Despite our aggressive ways for the past ten thousand years, something that has always been true is the inherent nature of keeping the child safe. In simple terms, it's nesting. It happens at different times for everyone, but at some point, I will be in dire need of setting up a safe and cozy space for our child. And I mean dire need."  
"That's something I can handle." Steven replied comfortingly. "It's similar for humans too. Although not a necessity, it is said to be both calming and reassurin' during stressful times."  
Krolia let out a long sigh, ever so slowly beginning to smile. "I guess this all means I'm going to be a mother..."  
"Yeah. I guess it does."  
She leaned on the man to her left, nuzzling her head into his neck. "I think I can handle all of these messed up hormones and side effects."  
Steven wrapped an arm around her, gently pulling her closer to him. "I'm sure you can... However, we are going to have to play this all by ear, you do know that right?"  
Krolia nodded, "yeah... It's not the best way to do things, but it'll work."

 

***

 

As if everything that had been spoken of could no longer wait to have its turn to ruin the miracles of pregnancy, the following morning was absolute shit.  
The day could not have started off any worse. Krolia had woken up just before dawn feeling dreadful. For the first time in many, many years, she felt sick, she felt nauseas, she felt like everything she had eaten the day before was about to come right back up.  
Throwing the blankets off her body, she ran as fast as she could down the stairs, praying she would make it to the bathroom in time. Her stomach lurched inside her, and she forcefully placed a hand over her mouth, never once stopping for even one second.  
With her free hand, she grabbed the door, pulling it open with so much force it slammed against the wall, almost closing with its momentum.  
Once inside, she dropped to her knees in front of the toilet, letting her gag reflexes take over.  
It burned like nothing she had ever felt before. Half digested meals do not ever come back up nicely.  
Unbeknownst to her, Steven had heard the whole ordeal. It was not uncommon for Krolia to wake up at the crack of dawn to check on the systems monitoring the lion. Finding her side of the bed empty did not worry him. However, the sound of a door banging against a wall alerted him to some type of danger, and he hurried downstairs to see what had happened.  
Krolia sat there on the floor, coughing and sputtering, hoping it would all go away, that it was done, that there was no more to make its way back up her throat.  
Having subconsciously shut her eyes, she jumped at the feeling of something touching her back.  
"Hey..." Steven's voice reached her ears, and for a split second everything was okay. "Just try an' breathe, alright?"  
Krolia nodded slowly, eyes still closed tightly. But of course the comfort was short lived. Another wave of nausea flooded over her.  
Steven began rubbing her upper back gently with his one hand, while taking ahold of Krolia's hand in his other. He had noticed she was shaking, not from fear, but from the awful feelings of vomiting. He hoped that his compassionate gestures would help soothe her. "It's alright. It'll pass soon."  
Thankfully he was right, but it did not fix what had happened. Her throat burned as though it had millions of tiny cuts inside of it, and she was just forced to swallow some acidic drink. She was out of breath, having been caught off guard by the feeling, but also never once going through sickness on this level before. Her violet eyes were wet with tears brought on by the whole event. It was horrendous.  
Slowly, Steven let go of her hand, grabbing a towel from the counter for her to use.  
"Thank..." She stopped mid sentence, taking the towel from him and leaning back against the wall behind her. "Thank you..." Krolia placed the towel to her face, rubbing off the sweat from her forehead and the saliva from her mouth.  
"That certainly happened a lot sooner than I expected." He pointed out matter-of-factly. "The morning sickness, I mean."  
"Uh-huh..." She mumbled from behind the towel, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself. "Gosh that reeks." Krolia plugged her nose with her index finger and thumb. Using her foot, she clumsily flushed away the contents in the toilet. "Please tell me I don't ever have to go through that again..."  
Steven sighed, brushing the stray hairs out of Krolia's face. "Sadly no... But let's hope it won't be for a while."  
She rested her head on the wall behind her, grumbling in dissatisfaction. "I don't think I can deal with that feeling another time."  
"Hey..." he placed a calming hand on her knee and smiled at her kindly. "I'll be with you through it all. You've got nothing to fear. Besides... I made a promise didn't I...?"

 

***

 

Krolia slammed her head down on the table, groaning in anger. "I can't eat anything. Why does this stupid fetus have to be so damn picky?!"  
"Hey, hey, now. Let's try an' watch our language. Don't want 'em coming out with a potty mouth."  
"I'm allowed to complain about these feelings." She argued, chin resting on the table in front if her.  
"Yeah... But even so, I don't like the thought of you cursing around our son or daughter."  
She gave him a deadpan stare, caring very little about his words.  
Steven sighed, picking up a glass from the counter and bringing it over to the table with him. "I understand you're annoyed by your rather limited diet at the moment, but you have got to give things a try... And stay positive." He handed her the glass.  
"What's that...?"  
"It's warm milk. It often relaxes people who are stressed or can't sleep."  
Krolia seemed displeased with the drink, but took it anyway, sniffing it first before taking a sip. "This still isn't food..." she muttered.  
"Of course not... But I'd like to see if you can keep something down before your over sensitive stomach decides it can't be digested."  
"I feel like you're making fun of me..."  
Steven shook his head. "Krolia... You don't actually think I'd do such a thing, do you?"  
"I don't know... I'm not really in the mood to think." She sighed, pushing the empty cup away from her. "Honestly... I just want food... But I guess that's no longer my choice."  
"I'll see what I can do..." The human took the glass to the kitchen and began searching the fridge and pantries for something she could try and eat. "Nothing too flavorful or sweet, with little oily substances and absolutely no pungent smells."  
"So... Plain bread and water. Great."  
"What did I say about the positive attitude?"  
"Oh, come on!" Krolia sat up in her chair, outstretching her arms in annoyance. "The last two days have been awful! You can't expect me to be happy all of the time. Everything I try and eat makes me feel uneasy. I've thrown up more than I've taken in! I feel absolutely terrible during every minute of every day.."  
"You're new to these feelings." He informed her from the kitchen. "It'll get better overtime."  
"If I am correct, you're the one who said we had no real way of knowing what was going to happen."  
"That's true, but I'm going off of what I know. An educated guess really."  
"Fine, then I get to blame you if you're wrong." Krolia said with a sigh, standing up and making her way to the kitchen counter. "I honestly don't think I can trust you though."  
Steven chuckled, taking a break from his search to look at her. "I don't blame you. I really wouldn't be surprised if it stayed like this for the next ten-ish months."  
"You really aren't making this situation any better...." she whined, folding her arms across her chest. "I just want something to eat. Something that won't make me uncontrollably sick after eating it."  
He nodded, resuming his search and pulled out some raw ingredients he might be able to use. "Smell these and let me know which ones are going to be okay for me to use."  
Finding it a tedious task, Krolia rolled her eyes before picking up each item individually, smelling them once, and setting them down in one of two piles. "These seem fine. The others are either not going to work or have actually expired."  
"Alright. Sit tight and I'll see what I can do. Hopefully these will be easier on your stomach."  
"Oh I hope so too." Krolia mumbled, returning to the table, resting her head down once again. She let her mind wander for the time being, thinking of nothing in particular. Just a few random, meaningless thoughts.  
   The sound of a plate sliding across a wooden surface prompted her to raise her head.  
   "I don't know if it'll sit well with you," Steven informed her, taking a seat across from her, sliding a cup of water in her direction, "but I did my best to avoid the foods that make ya' nauseous."  
   She eyed the food, which didn't look all that bad, and picked up her fork. Placing a small amount of food on the fork, she brought it up to her nose and proceeded to smell it. "Well... It certainly smells fine." She remarked, cautiously taking a bite. "Tastes alright."  
   "That's good. That's very good." Steven gave a triumphant grin, raising his glass for a toast. "We've found something."  
   "It's... food...?"  
   "It's food. That you can eat. Without throwing it back up. It's toast worthy."  
   Krolia lowered her head, hiding her amusement in his words. "Yeah, sure. But it doesn't really solve our problem."  
   "Right... We're still going to be feeling our way through the darkness." He thought aloud, tapping his finger on the table. "And since we are not of the same kind, our predictions have a low probability of being correct. I'd say less than fifty percent. Maybe even less than thirty."  
   "In other words," the Galran added, "we have absolutely no way of knowing what we've got ourselves into."  
   "Yep." Steven forced a smile, saying, "this should be fun."  
"It's fun when you're not the one whose entire body has changed in the past few days. Not to mention, it'll keep changing until Mr. Picky Fetus is born."  
"So it's a he now?"  
"It's a nickname... That I hope you forget. I already told you, we're not thinking of names."  
Steven took a sip of his water, holding back laughter after hearing her excuse for addressing the child in a more loving way than just 'child' or 'fetus'.  
"Until we figure out what we're doing there will be absolutely no discussion of names." Krolia ordered as she finished the portion of food she had been given.  
"If you insist."  
She nodded, finalizing her statement, before picking up her plate and walking behind the counter to wash it off.  
"Krolia," Steven called out over his shoulder, "we do have a slight problem."  
"We have many problems, Steven. But yes, what is this particular problem?"  
"It's more so a problem for you, if we go off of your needs as a, quote, 'expecting female', as you called it. One that I will most definitely be forced to find a solution for very soon."  
"Go on..."  
"We don't have a place to put this child."  
"Well, there's the other room upstairs... the one that's full of boxes... and dusty... full of spider webs... and most definitely unsuitable for a child." Krolia sighed deeply. "Yeah... We've got our work cut out for us."  
"Not to mention, purchasing the crib, the clothes, supplies, accessories, all of that. It certainly isn't cheap."  
"But we don't have a choice..." Krolia told him, "I'm not failing at motherhood due to lack of supplies. Hell, I'm not failing at motherhood! And you're not failing either!"  
Steven slowly smiled, proud of her determination. He knew there was love backing up her thoughts. Would she ever admit to becoming tremendously keen on the idea of motherhood in a few days? Of course she wouldn't. But it was not hard to see how much she already cared for the unborn child.  
"Neither of us know what we're doing, do we..?" Krolia asked, voice low and quiet.  
"Nope. Not at all."  
"Then playing it all by ear will be our best bet. Won't it?"  
"Seems right." Steven told her, nodding in agreement. "I'll be taking days off work as frequently as I can, so you'll need to find a way to keep yourself occupied."  
"I have to check on the—"  
"In the middle of summer? Alone? And pregnant?" He shook his head, "I think not. I'm not risking it. And you can't either."  
Krolia gave a small nod, "I'll check the status of the lion from here, where it's safe. But in return, you best get the supplies we need."  
"Absolutely."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It takes FOREVER to write these chapters!!  
> I’ve been editing this for three days! Not to mention it took me two hours to write the beginning scene. (Okay... I was distracted by FFXV)  
> But anyway.   
> I hope you enjoy this  
> (I’m going to try and do three chapters a week)


	3. Mistakes

Three weeks. Three whole weeks have passed since Krolia told Steven of 'the news'. The kind of news that for most families would be joyous, but for them, it has proven to be more stressful than anything else.   
"What in the world are you doing...?" Steven asked Krolia as he watched her look at herself rather religiously in the mirror.   
"Can you tell it's there...?" She asked in a small, childish voice. "The bump. Can you see it?"  
"Why does it—"  
"Just answer the question!" Krolia snapped, fixing the way her shirt rested on her torso over and over again.   
"From the front, no." Steven stepped to his right, humming as he did so. "From the side... Just barely. Why?"  
She let out a dissatisfied moan, pulling at her hair with one of her hands. "Are you sure it's 'just barely'? It's super obvious for me...."  
   "Because you're focusing on it." He reassured her. "Just don't think too hard about it."  
   "But I've been showing for just under one week now. How can I not think about it? It looks weird... I look weird."  
   "Well that certainly isn't a good thought ." Steven moved so he was standing behind her, and rested his chin on Krolia's shoulder, wrapping his arms around her from behind, gently taking ahold of her hands in the process. "If you ask me, you look as beautiful as ever." Slowly and carefully, he raised her hands up to her stomach, and rested them just below the minuscule baby bump. "There. That's better."  
   "But it's so distracting..." She mumbled, her voice sounded identical to that of a saddened five year old. "It makes me look unfit..."  
   Steven shook his head slowly. "You look fine. I mean it. It might be hard to get used to, but it's there and it certainly isn't going to get any smaller."  
   "That's not helpful." Krolia stretched the shirt out across her torso. Immediately, the previously unnoticeable bump had been made much more obvious. She let out a long whimper of defeat. "It's unsettling...."  
   "Come on, loosen up a bit. You're going to be a mother, and thus are going to experience a lot of changes."  
   "Yeah, I know. But don't you think these 'changes' are happening really quickly...?"  
   "Not really... But what is changing quickly is my appetite. We should eat somethin' before one of us becomes cranky." Steven slipped his hand into her palm, forcing her to release the shirt from her grip, before coaxing her out of their bedroom to the kitchen downstairs.   
   The way in which he used 'we' to describe nearly every situation they went through was both sweet and slightly confusing. Steven used it to make Krolia feel a little better about all of the sudden changes going on in her life, but also when describing simple daily tasks, those unrelated to her and the growing fetus.   
   It was a kind gesture in theory, although it made relaxing situations more serious, but at least the use of 'we' and not 'you' helped to make serious situations seem less stressful.   
   Krolia, being one who constantly fails miserably at the art of cooking, took a seat at the counter. "So... What will it be today?"  
"It's no fun if I tell you." Steven seemed rather pleased with his secrecy, until he noticed how unamused Krolia looked. "It's just an omelet."  
"Wow... Do I really look that ticked off?" She began shaking her head, quietly chuckling to herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to threaten you with my eyes. I'm just hungry."  
"Krolia.... Darlin'... We're goin' to have to work on that death glare of yours..."  
"It's not a death glare!" She protested, pretending to be insulted by his words. "It's just a look I give when I'm deprived of food or sleep."  
"Looks like a death glare to me."  
Krolia contemplated whether or not it was best to fight him on this one, or just leave it be. With a sigh, she muttered, "fine... I'll work on the death glare..."

 

***

 

As routine, after breakfast, the two went to the shed next to their home. This was where they kept all of their scanners and radios, all of which being used to monitor the lion's safety. To keep her hidden, they used no cameras or recording instruments of any kind. Instead, relied on a small piece of equipment which measured the amount of energy emitted from the lion. If it ever became unstable, the two were to head over to the cave immediately. No matter the circumstances.   
Krolia, knowing the most about the lions, was in charge of the energy scanner, as Steven called it, and a simple scanner that used sonar to detect approaching ships. Human or Galra.   
Steven was put in charge of listening to radio chatter. Scanning for alien signals or approaching military forces of any kind.   
With Steven gone most of the days during the week, both tasks often fell on Krolia. She, however, did not care one bit about this compilation of tasks. If her working both stations kept the Blue Lion safe, then she was going to do her job.   
"The scanners haven't picked up anythin' worth noting," Steven commented, turning to face the focused Marmoran. "How are things on your end?"  
"All good." Krolia Answered, scrolling through the hourly logs taken by the machine. "Well, the energy levels aren't as high as they were the day we found her, so we might want to head over there to make sure she's alright. They haven't dropped in recent scans, but still, they aren't as high compared to when we set up the scanner."  
The Earthling examined the logs over Krolia's shoulder, giving a slight nod of agreement. "I'm off all day tomorrow. We could head over then."  
"I was thinking of going today, actually."   
"By yourself...?"  
She nodded in response, "mhm."  
"Absolutely not. You are not wanderin' the desert alone, especially not in this condition."  
"Condition?!" She whipped her head around, insulted by his word choice. "It's not a condition! You know full well I can handle myself out there!"  
Steven shook his head, "I cannot allow you to roam the outside world alone. What if you ran into someone else?!"  
"I'm a member of the Blade of Marmora!" Krolia challenged. "I know how to protect myself!"  
"You cannot seriously think that you would be able to attack a human and get away with it. This isn't a matter of skill. The is your safety we're talkin' about!"  
She wanted to retaliate, to fight for her point of view, to prove herself right, but in reality, she knew she was wrong. Steven was right. It'd be a huge risk without him there. "But you said we had to report to the cave if anything changed. We agreed to those terms."  
"That was before we found out that the two of us would be parents. Long before."  
"It shouldn't matter! If there's something wrong with the lion then I have to fix it. It's my job!"  
Steven shook his head, "I know you feel that way, but I can't allow you to roam the desert alone. It's far too dangerous."  
"You said no matter the circumstances! I have to go out there and make sure the lion is okay."  
"Do you not understand what I'm saying?! You can't go outside by yourself! I know you can defend yourself, but if someone saw you... They'd track you down. Your life would be in danger."  
"That's a risk I am willing to take. Protecting the lion is my top priority. Nothing is more important than keeping that lion out of Zarkon's hands, and keping it hidden from your people." Krolia grabbed a go-bag of supplies, heading for the door.   
"What about our child?!" Steven challenged, grabbing her wrist firmly. He saw the realization in her eyes and did not hesitate to prove his point further. "If you leave, you will be all alone. You'll be putting your life and the life our child at risk. I understand that you care little for your own life, but please think of the child."  
She felt the bag slide off her shoulder, letting it drop to the floor. Krolia hung her head shamefully. "I... I don't know what I was thinking..."  
"I don't believe you were thinking... Not truthfully at least."  
"What have I done...?" She looked up slightly, keeping her head lowered. "I'm not cut out for this... A mother is supposed to put her child before everything else... I've proven unable to do so... I'm a failure."  
   "That's not true." Steven placed a gentle hand to her cheek, his eyes filled with love and compassion. "You haven't failed, not yet at least. Though... You'll need to change the way you think about things from now on."  
   "How are you so calm...? After what I almost did. You're so relaxed. How?!"  
   Steven simply shrugged, "I suppose it's because I know when you're thinking straight and when you're not thinking at all. You made a mistake, a rather dangerous mistake, but you've realized that now. Haven't you?"  
   Krolia gave the slightest nod. "I feel so terrible. I am so sorry, Steven."  
He pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms gently around her back. "I'm not going to let anything happen to either of you... But, Krolia... You have to promise not to ever leave the house without me."  
Krolia nodded, resting her forehead on Steven's shoulder. "You have my word."  
   Steven gave a small smile, sighing with relief. "I'll be home as much as possible, and on those days, we can check on the lion... Otherwise I want you to stay inside the house. For your safety and our child's."   
   Krolia nodded, softly mumbling "alright..." as she did.   
"I will take you to thBlue Lion tomorrow. We'll go first thing in the morning."  
"Sounds like a plan to me."

 

***

 

Without the sun beating down on the desert landscape, the journey back to the Blue Lion's hiding place was rather enjoyable. It was much less hot than it normally would be.   
Inside the cave, the temperature was even nicer. The lack of natural light brought the temperature down nearly ten degrees in comparison to the sandy world outside.   
"You sure you don't want your jacket?" Steven asked her, worry in his voice.   
Krolia sighed, turning around to face him. "I'm sure. But if it makes you feel better I'll put it on." She took the jacket from him, putting it on, and waiting for his approval.   
"It does make me feel better about you coming all the way out here." He took a few extra steps to catch up to Krolia, simply to hold her hand.   
"Well, I'm here now, so let's just get to the lion and check things out."  
As they had hoped, the Blue Lion was alone.   
"Let's make this quick." Steven told her, releasing his gentle grip on her hand.   
"Yeah, yeah. I'll go as fast as I can..." As she moved towards the forcefield, she couldn't help but smile. The presence of the lion made her feel calm. It was either the silence around them, or the lion herself causing this feeling.   
"So..." Steven began, inching closer to the lion. "How exactly do we know if this Blue Lion is alright or not?"  
"Patience." She Answered. "I was able to feel a disturbance in the Red Lion's energy, a disturbance those around me confused for offering its power."  
"And you're sure you're not a paladin...?"  
Krolia nodded. "It's a gut feeling, not a real thought. I can't hear the Blue Lion's thoughts, but I can sense the energy. You can too... If you close off your mind to the outside world."  
"And how would I—"  
"Here." She grabbed his hand, pulling him up next to her. "Place your hand here, and focus on your breathing. Let me know if you feel anything."  
While Steven waited for some unknown feeling from the Blue Lion, Krolia scouted the premises, looking for anything off about their surroundings.   
"Anything?" Steven asked when he was sure Krolia had finished her patrolling.   
"Not a thing. Which is good, but we did come all the way out here for nothing...."  
"I wouldn't say that. You did get to leave the house, which is something you like doing."  
"True..." She grinned, pleased with the situation at hand. "I do like wandering the desert." Krolia leaned her back against the forcefield surrounding the lion. "And you, did you have any luck?"  
"Sadly, no." The human answered with a laugh. "I don't think it worked."  
"That's a shame..."   
Steven raised an eyebrow, pointing to her, "That's new." He commented, speaking of her posture.   
"Hmm?"   
"Your posture." He told her, "the placement of your hand."  
Krolia looked to her hand, not yet realizing she had subconsciously rested it on her lower abdomen. "Oh! Yeah... I find myself doing that lately...."   
"It suits you, Krolia. It really does."  
   "Explain..."  
   "What is there to explain?" He asked, before continuing with what he had to say, "You seem a lot more pleased with this 'situation' than you did yesterday."  
   Krolia gave him a little smile, knowing his words were true. Compared to the days before, she was much calmer, more content, and much more relaxed with everything that was going on inside of her. "I suppose you're right." She teased, pushing herself off of the barrier, and walking towards the human. "I guess I am a little more pleased, as you say."  
He offered her his hand, holding it out to her as though she were royalty.   
She gladly accepted his gesture, placing her hand in his own, smiling as she did so. "I only hope that you too are 'pleased' with the situation."  
"Absolutely." Steven told her, smiling kindly. "I could not be happier with this, somewhat sudden, turn of events."

 

***

 

   Unlike the journey to the Blue Lion, the trip back was hot and tiring. Being the overprotective man he was, Steven constantly nagged Krolia to drink some water. He asked her if she was feeling alright every few minutes and offered her the water bottle the two had brought every chance he could.   
   Krolia soon became tired of refusing, and decided it was best to take his offer. She took the water from him, refusing to give it back, since it was the only way she knew he would stop asking her about it. Or at least would ask less.   
   When the two made it home, Krolia immediately flopped down on the couch, exhausted from the long walk.  
Steven joined her a minute later with two glasses of iced water, one for each of them.   
"Thanks," Krolia said with a smile, sitting up and graciously taking the glass.   
"You're welcome." He replied, taking a seat next to her.   
She leaned back, letting out a long sigh. "I thought it was the middle of winter! Why is it so hot?!"  
"Because... We're in the middle of a desert. It's always hot."  
"Are you sure it's even safe to raise a child here? It's so hot all of the time."  
Steven nodded, "perfectly safe."  
"If you say so..."  
"Well, he or she won't be going outside for a long time, and if they do, it'll only be for short periods of time. No need to worry."  
Krolia hummed, contemplating what he had said. "If he or she is anything like their mother, they aren't going to like this temperature at all."  
"Sure, but they'll like it because I do." Steven said, pointing his thumb towards him self with pride. "Besides, we have air conditioning and fans to keep the inside temperature regulated. It'll be fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t write in order.   
> I really don’t   
> I’ve written chapter 4,9,19,20  
> No joke.   
> I publish in order but I can’t write this in chronological order  
> Its so hard for some reason   
> ALTHOUGH  
> Given the plot  
> It’d make sense I wrote one chapter after the other :)  
> Anyway   
> Enjoy chapter 3  
> I’m updating every other day (hopefully) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!   
> ~Picci


	4. Need For Support

Steven had been at the station all day, leaving Krolia alone and bored. She occupied herself by checking on the logs and radios out in the shed. This task, however, only got you so far. After a while, it becomes tedious and boring.   
For the past hour, she had lay on the couch, looking up at the ceiling and letting her mind wander. Krolia didn't like being alone in the house. She despised it, now more than ever. With that being said, she still kept a smile and happy demeanor before Steven had to leave for work. Otherwise, he would feel guilty and stay home, something they both knew wasn't the best idea ever.   
Even with all of this, the best part of their day was in the evening, around six o'clock, when Steven would finally come home.   
Krolia now found herself looking to the clock every few minutes to see what time it is and how much more of the empty house she had to endure.   
At times like these—being by herself in a quiet environment— she found herself feeling her stomach with a gentle hand, running her fingers over the hardly noticeable bump. It was calming and relaxing, and she liked it. By now, she was almost completely used to it being there, though she could not imagine it getting any bigger. That worried her. The fact that this wouldn't stay that small forever, that eventually, it would be impossible not to see. It was the only thing about becoming a mother that worried her.   
But, for now, she had the enjoyment of the little 'baby bump'.   
The sound of keys clicking in the lock prompted Krolia to sit up instantly. Steven barely had time step inside before he was greeted by a rather energetic Krolia. She was acting like a child, one awaiting some sort of candy or reward for doing a simple task.   
"Did you get it?!" She asked, practically jumping up and down.   
"Yes, Love, I got it. But why do you want a calendar...?"  
"You'll see." Krolia smiled, planting a kiss on Steven's forehead before rushing off to the kitchen, gift in hand.  
She grabbed a marker from one of the drawers and took a seat at the counter.   
"You know..." steven began, "we're almost completely done with February already, if you wanted one, why'd ya' wait so long to ask?"   
"You'll see..." she repeated, examining the calendar, marker in hand.   
Steven watched curiously as she went through all of the months, pausing, then flipping back to the beginning before quickly flipped back to the same one on which she had first paused.   
"February is the second month in your year, right?" Krolia asked, placing a finger down to mark her spot before flipping back to the beginning.   
"Yeah... It's February 26th today."  
"Great!" She quickly flipped back to where she was, scribbled something down on the page and triumphantly closed the calendar.   
"What did you just do...?"  
"Something very important."  
Steven couldn't take the secrecy much longer, and with her permission, he picked up the booklet, looking through the pages, searching for what she had written.   
He had gone through each month, January, nothing. February, nothing. March, nothing. April, nothing. May, nothing. June, nothing. All of the pages were blank, if of course, you don't count the dates and weeks printed in the calendar.   
Steven was about to ask what she had done, doubting if she had written anything in the first place, when something caught his eye.   
On the fourth week of the tenth month, he found what she had written. A tiny scribble of what appeared to be a balloon and—maybe—a bottle or some sort of cup. His eyes drifted to the top left corner of the specific date's designated box and read it aloud. "October twenty third..."  
Krolia simply nodded.   
"And what, fair maiden, is so special about the twenty thirty of October?"  
"It's my due date." She gave her answer with pride and joy. "Calculated it myself."  
"But that's nearly ten months from now.... I thought you said your species only carried the child for six or seven months."  
"I know... But I have a feeling that, because of him or her being part human, the timeframe will be that of a human pregnancy. Not Galran."  
Steven smiled with great joy, looking from Krolia to the marked date and back to her again. "So, how far along are you? Since I know you didn't find out, let alone tell me, on day one."  
Krolia slowly took the calendar back, flipping to the first two pages. "Assuming my presumptions on when it all started are correct, I am approximately five and a half weeks in."  
"So... Just over one month?"  
"Mhm."  
Steven smiled even more. He more or less so already knew of the time frame, but hearing it set in stone made him so very happy. "That's pretty exciting."  
"I know!" Krolia practically shrieked in excitement and jumped off of the counter stool before regaining her calm composure. "I know..."  
"I don't believe I've seen you this happy... ever."  
"Oh... I guess I'm a little excited."  
Steven let out a small chuckle, "a little?" He asked in disbelief. "You asked me to buy you a calendar for the sole purpose of marking your supposed due date."  
"Supposed...? No. That's spot on."  
"Honey, those aren't always correct. They're hardly ever corrected."  
"A Galra's due date is never wrong." She told him, "no matter what. It doesn't matter if the child is full Galra or half Galra. The dates are exact."  
Steven crossed his arms, not believing what she had told him.   
"You think I'm joking don't you?"  
"Absolutely. There's no way your species could be that precise about when the expecting mother will go into labor."  
"Have it your way." She said, grabbing the calendar, "but you owe me an apology when I'm right." She grabbed a pin from a small box on the counter and proceeded to hang the calendar on the cork board next to the fridge.  
"And if I'm right?" He playfully challenged.  
"You get the satisfaction, but nothing other than that. Especially not if it starts early."  
"Then it's a deal." Steven picked up the marker from where Krolia had left it and proceeded to write in the small space near the scribbles.   
"What are you writing...?" Krolia asked in curiosity.   
"Just writin' it in words. You can't read English, but I can."  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" She asked, whacking Steven on the side of his head.   
"Exactly what it sounds like." He answered, rubbing his head. "And why'd you hit me?"  
"Because you're mean. Teasing me like this. You should be ashamed." She crossed her arms and proceeded to pout like a child. "You better apologize to both of us immediately, or I'll whack you again."  
"Both of you...?"  
"Yes. Both of us."  
With a sigh, he began his apologies. "I'm sorry, Krolia. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. And I'm sorry, son or daughter for offending your mother."  
"See. That wasn't all that hard."  
"No, but I definitely am going to have to teach you to read and write."  
   "Why...? I know my own language. I can most definitely get by with that."  
   "And when the child begins to read, ask for bedtime stories, and write the alphabet, you're telling me you'll just refuse to help?"  
   "How are you going to teach me to read and write? It'll take months."  
   Steven shrugged, "then I guess it's a good thing we have that time."

 

***

 

   "So this is the official baby planning calendar then?" Steven asked, looking over the countless dates marked with some sort of task for the to accomplish.   
   "Yep. It is." Krolia answered, crossing off yet another day from the week.   
   "It's insane how much we've 'scheduled' in the past two weeks." He used the air quotes to signify that most tasks would not be completed on the specific day they were written on.   
   "You said it yourself. You wanted a plan. This is a plan."  
"I did want a plan." He admitted, placing a hand on Krolia's shoulder. "I'm delighted to see how dedicated you are to this. And how much your attitude has changed in the past few weeks. One might even say you're thinking like a mother."  
A hint of red appeared on her cheeks, a little embarrassed by his word choice. "You say that like I'm not a mother."  
Steven let out a small laugh, "I didn’t mean it that way. It's just not like you to think so fondly of others."   
"If you're referring to my Galra lineage," she began, shooting him a threatening glance, "I suggest you change the subject before I give you more than that little scar above your eye."  
"Hey now. I didn't say it was a bad thing."  
Krolia only sighed, saying nothing in response.   
"Okay, so it was a bad thing to bring up... But—"  
"You Don't get to explain yourself. You know how I feel about my past." She muttered, resting her head on the table in front of her. "You should know better than to bring it up..."  
"What's so wrong about discussing your past?" He asked innocently.   
"It's not wrong... I just don't like it. My upbringing, my heritage, my 'family'. All of it contradicts what I'm trying to do now."  
Steven figured it was best for him to encourage her to talk even if she wasn’t in the mood. They both knew that if anyone shouldn't hold in their thoughts, it's her. "And why is that?" He asked, taking a seat across from her. "They don't dictate who you are."  
"I'm trying to succeed as a mother. One who actually cares about their child, but everything about my past points in the other direction. You know how I was raised..."  
"Yeah... I remember you told me about it. The arena an' all."  
"That was no place for a child. I was an impure galra, the runt of my 'household'—if you could even call something that awful a household— and for the longest time, weakest among my peers. I was the child of a warlord, and because of that, my entire personality was forged from hatred. I was only ever taught to hurt and kill. Not to care and raise."   
"But you're not like them. You know you're not... You're kind, thoughtful, talented, forgiving. Everything they aren't."  
"But it isn't in my nature to raise a child with love! It’s not in Galran nature! I don’t have it in me. I'm not meant to be a mother. Not the way you know it. My past won't let me be a gentle, loving mother."  
"Fuck your past!" He shouted, slamming his hands down on the table, his chair squeaking across the floor as he stood up.   
"I-I'm sorry...?" Krolia was taken aback by his sudden colorful language. Steven never swore. Not in front of her. Not in front of anyone.   
"You're not who they raised you to be. You're you. You're the love of my life, my sun an' stars, mother to my child. You're nothing like them. Most humans aren't even as kind as you. You're risking your life to protect a mechanical cat by going against the ruling powers. You're in a resistance group. One who's primary motive is to tear down the empire. But most importantly, you want to be a mother. You had the choice to end this, but you stuck with it, even though it meant that everything would have to change. You choose to be a mother because you want to be a mother. And if that isn't love, then I don't know what is."  
With every word he said, Krolia began to feel vulnerable to her emotions. Vulnerable to the point of crying. She felt her eyes sting with tears, her vision growing blurry.   
"Now, try and tell me that you're not capable of being a loving mother."  
Krolia couldn't hold it in any longer. She knew he was right. Every word he said was nothing but the truth. "I..." She could barely start her sentence before a tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm so sorry...."  
Steven immediately relaxed, slowly pulling Krolia to her feet, wrapping his arms around her back. "Don't apologize. You did nothin' wrong..." His voice was soothing and calming.   
She wrapped her arms tightly around Steven's back, letting her emotions show themselves. "I'm just so scared...!" She admitted, "I don't know how to take care of a child. I don't even know if I can."  
"Nobody does..." he said reassuringly, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do either." He added with a light chuckle. "Parenting doesn't come with a manual or an instructor. You gotta learn as ya' go."  
Krolia slowly pulled away, drying her violet eyes with her thumbs. "How would you say I'm doing so far...?"  
"If I had to be honest, I'd say you're doing better than me. The baby planner, slash, calendar thing was your idea, you're constantly thinking of some way to baby proof somethin' in this home, not to mention, you're rubbing your stomach at every chance ya' get."   
"Yeah... I am doing that a lot..." Krolia let out a small gasp, placing a hand to her mouth. "Is that weird?! Feeling the baby and all?! Please tell me it's not!"  
Steven shook his head, smiling with amusement. "Not at all, Darlin'. Not at all."   
Krolia slowly smiled, a real smile. The kind to make one squint their eyes, they’re just that happy. She threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his neck. "I'd be completely lost without you. Thank you for not giving up on me."  
"Not giving up on you? Honey, I am never going to leave your side. I'm going to help you out every step of the way. That's a promise."  
She let go, the corners of her lips still pointing up into a content smile. Thought she never said it in words, her face, her smile, told Steven that she was more than grateful for what he had done, and will do. "We still haven't finished getting ourselves organized, with the planner, I mean." She pointed out after a few moments. "Should we...?"  
"I suppose, but why don't we fix the clutter upstairs first?" He suggested. "We can't do nearly half of what we plan to do if that room stays in it's current state."  
Krolia scowled, knowing full well how awful the spare room was. Boxes covered the floor, dirt and trash everywhere. There was absolutely no way she would let her child come into this world until that room was clean and prepared for his or her arrival.   
"Come on. If we don't start now, we never will." Steven walked towards the stairs, motioning for her to follow him. "Besides, I've set a cut off date for when I want you to be doing physical work."  
"I don't need your protection. I'll be able to know my own limit."  
"Really...?"   
"Fine..." Krolia sighed, knowing full well that she neither knew her limit at any given point in time, nor payed any attention to it if she reached it.

 

***

 

Steven did most of the lifting—all of it. He left the simpler tasks to Krolia, who swept the dirt from the floor, collected the trash, and even went the extra mile to scrub the floors.   
They worked in sections, placing blankets over the cleaned floorboards to keep them from regaining dust while they cleaned another part.   
The sheets and scrubbing were Krolia's idea.  
After three whole hours, they had gone through a good two thirds of the room before Steven brought food upstairs for the to snack on.   
"I've been thinking," Krolia began, taking a bite of the sandwich in her hands, "and it's a fairly recent thought brought on by cleaning out this room... What's the child going to call us?"  
"Whatever you'd like 'em to." Steven replied, taking a seat on the floor next to her. "Have anything in mind?"  
"Actually..." She smiled, placing a gentle hand on her stomach, "I really like 'Mama'. It's short and simple. But it's cute."  
"Mama, huh?" He thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. I can see it. It fits you. Though I thought you'd be more drawn to 'Mom' or 'Mommy'."  
"Nope. I like Mama." She took another bite of her sandwich, smiling with pride as she thought about how someday her little baby would address her by Mama. It made her so happy. "And you, what would you like our son or daughter to call you?"  
"I wouldn't mind Dad or Daddy. Papa just sounds weird..."  
"Really...? Daddy...?" She raised her eyebrow in disbelief. "You can't be serious. That's what you're going with?"  
"What? Oh! No! Lord, no. Not for those reasons."  
Krolia knew a fair amount of Earth culture to know of the sexual implications the name 'Daddy' had. Thought Steven wasn't that type of person, she still had to question his choice.   
"Please don't think about it that way. It has a completely different context when used by—"  
"I know! Just know that I am forever going to think of you in that way." She teased. "Even if you meant nothing by it."  
   "Well that ain't fair..."   
   Krolia shrugged, "if I have to carry the child, I get to tease you for something. It's only fair."  
   "Those two aren't even—" Steven cut himself off, figuring it was better not to argue about something as silly as this. "Alright. Fine. If that's what you want, then okay. You can tease me for it."  
   "I don't know.... Maybe I won't..."  
   "And why is that?"  
   She smiled, saying, "I just thought... If I'm going to be a mother, maybe I should start acting like it. To set a good example, you know?"  
   "I can't tell if you're joking or not..."  
   "I don't know either... But I don't think I am..."  
   "In that case, I'll do the same." He said with a smile as he stood up, extending his hand to help Krolia to her feet. "But for now, let's try and finish clearing out this place. We're almost done."  
   "It's a nice room..." Krolia observed, "if you ignore the clutter."  
   "There won't be any clutter once we're finished." Steven told her, picking up one of the last few boxes, taking it out into the hallway before carrying it downstairs.   
   As she meticulously scrubbed at the floorboards, she couldn't help but let her mind wander. All she was able to think of, was how, soon, she would be in this very room, cradling her child in her arms. A comforting thought. One she would quickly come to wish was already reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you’re enjoying this piece of fiction.   
> I’ve set a writing schedule for myself so I actually have a plan of when I’m going to revise for publishing and when I’m going to write.   
> Every other day is the official release date for chapters.   
> If anything changes, I’ll add it to the notes when I do update again.   
> Thanks for reading!  
> ~Picci


	5. Discomfort and Embarrassment

   The amount of times she had gone back and forth between living room and the bathroom were absolutely mind boggling. It wasn't just her overreactive bladder, but her highly sensitive stomach as well. In just the past week, she had used the bathroom, for sickness alone, at least fifteen times. Sixteen if you count the unfortunate incident where she didn't quite make it to the bathroom in time.  
   Just today, she had thrown up four times. Once due to morning sickness and the other three due to her stomach not being able to handle the smells of food. Despite almost being done with the first trimester—in human terms— her morning sickness had not yet gone away, nor did it decrease in frequency.  
   Steven had more or less so 'banished' her to the couch, suggesting that she rest there for the reminder of the day. He had left her with a glass of water equipped with a straw for 'easy access' and an empty bowl for emergency use.  
   "Do all human women experience this ? On the same level of severity?" She asked as she lay on the couch, taking a sip of water.  
   "I would assume no... It could be the... Er..." Steven paused, not wanting to phrase his answer in a disrespectful way. "Mixing of species..."  
"Yeah...? Well our hybrid child is going to pay for what they're putting me through."  
"I highly doubt you're going to stick to that. Seems to me like you already care too much about them to say that truthfully."  
"How do you know?"  
"It's not hard to tell." Steven said, chuckling to himself. "You already love the child despite it only being the size of an apple."  
Krolia suddenly turned onto her side, tilting her head to look at Steven. "Is it just me or does my stomach look really small in comparison to the amount of months that have passed?"  
"No...? It seems normal to me. How far along are you? In weeks? Ten, right?"  
"Yeah, ten. But are you sure?! It looks really tiny..."  
Steven simply shrugged, "I don't think it is."  
"Well, normally, with my species this is close to the halfway mark. But I'm barely showing."  
"Yeah... You've still got two months or so until you reach the halfway point in human pregnancy."  
"So... My physical changes are akin to your species, but everything is a mix of both... But on steroids."  
"Never thought of it like that, but I guess you could say that..."  
Krolia nodded, sitting up slowly. "I'm sure that if I didn't have such a keen sense of smell, none of this would be happening."  
"You sure do like to complain a lot."  
"I've thrown up four times today. I deserve to be able to complain."  
"Alright...."  
"I would love one of those sandwiches you make right now." She mumbled suddenly. Looking to Steven hopefully.  
"Cravings...?"  
"Something like that."  
"I'm not allowed to say no, am I...?"  
"Nope," she hummed, getting off the couch, making her way to the kitchen counter. "Besides, it's noon, which means it's lunchtime."  
With a nod, Steven cooperated with her wishes, and began preparing a meal for her.  
Krolia took a seat at the counter, resting her back against the seat rest.  
"So... about names..." Steven began, giving her a look that suggested he wanted her to start the conversation.  
"Absolutely not." She said, shaking her head. "I already told you, no discussion of names. I'm not getting attached to one because that means getting attached to a gender, and I do not want to do that."  
"There are plenty of gender neutral names." Steven explained. "Alex for example, is short for Alexander or Alexis. Sam, short for Samantha or Samuel. Then there's Aaron or Erin. And then you have gender specific, like Amanda or Claire, both girl names. Or for boys, Richard or Kei—"  
"No! I'm not talking about names. Galra don't name their children until they're born." She said sternly. "And no matter how much I despise my lineage, I'm sticking to that rule."  
"Well, humans tend to like it..."  
Krolia shot him an angered glare, shutting him up instantly. "We aren't taking about it. End if discussion."  
Steven sighed, grabbing a plate from one of the cupboards, "fine. We won't discuss names until after they're born."  
"You're welcome to talk about anything else. Supplies would be a good idea. Especially getting them. Unless of course, you'd like to deal with my nesting needs without having the necessary items. That would be fun."  
"I'm getting hints of sarcasm in your tone."  
Krolia grinned, nodding her head. "Oh definitely. I am not looking forward to that. It's normally accompanied with awful mood swings too. Which probably means—"  
"You'll be prone to aggression?" Steven asked, finishing her sentence for her.  
"Yeah. I'll be easily aggravated. Just make note of it if it happens."  
"You know I will." He placed the sandwich he had made on a plate and handed to Krolia. "You really like these, huh?"  
"Either I like the sandwiches, or they're making me like them."  
   "Well, regardless, I'm glad someone likes what I'm making."  
"You're welcome..." she said, her eyes drifting to the window. "It looks like it'll be clear tonight."  
"You wanna stargaze again...?"  
Krolia nodded. "If I feel up for it. Don't want to push myself to stay awake if I feel like I did this morning."  
"Thinking like a mother..." Steven thought aloud. "I'll gladly take you if you're feelin' alright."  
She smiled, one of her kinder smiles she let only Steven see. "Could we go to check on the Blue Lion as well...?"  
"If there's time, Love. If there's time."  
A comforting silence settled upon the two. A peaceful kind of quiet. Somewhat calming.  
Krolia's head quickly turned back to Steven as something tingled her nose. An unfamiliar smell. One strong and sickening. "What is that awful smell....?!"  
"They're just eggs..." Steven explained. "Hard boiled eggs."  
   "It's disgusting."  
   "But... They're eggs..."  
"Oh no..." With another waft of the smell, she was gone, bolting for the bathroom. She had her hand clasped tightly around her lips, the feeling of nausea was strong. She felt her gag reflexes begin to force the contents of her stomach back up her throat.  
She barely made it to the bathroom in time, immediately coughing up what she could. It was a small amount of partly digested food, but that didn't matter. The burning sensation of stomach acid stung her throat, it made her cough and gag multiple times before her stomach finally calmed down.  
"You better get rid of that!" She ordered, catching her breath as she leaned against the shower behind her. "I'm not leaving the bathroom until you do!"  
Steven did as he was told, disposing of the food that had set her stomach on edge.  
Krolia splashed her face with water from the sink, doing her best to slow her breathing.  
"What was that all about...?" Steven asked her, poking his head into the doorway to check on her. "You've never had that reaction to eggs before."  
"I don't know, but it better not happen again." Her tone of voice suggested she was more than a little fed up with everything that was going on, and her facial features were pulled into a scowl. She was not in a good mood. Not anymore.  
   "I'll keep a mental note..."  
Krolia slowly left the bathroom, heading to the couch instead of the kitchen.  
"Don't you wanna finish—"  
"Put it in the fridge!" She ordered. "Please. I can't eat anything right now." She lay down, resting her head on one of the pillows, curling up as much as she could.  
"I know I shouldn't ask..." Steven began, sitting by her feet, "but are you feeling alright?"  
"Emotionally or physically?" She asked, staring blankly at the wall.  
"Um, both I guess."  
"I feel really warm and uncomfortable, probably because I just vomited... But emotionally... I feel broken..."  
"Broken...?"  
   "I guess. It's hard to explain, but over the past few days with everything that's been going on..." She shrugged, looking to Steven, "my moral is getting pretty low..."  
   "Oh... I see..."  
   "I'm complaining too much as always, aren't I?"  
   Steven shook his head, chuckling a little. "No, no. You're not complaining. Not this time at least."  
   Krolia gave him a glance, one suggestion that she didn't believe what he had said.  
   "I mean it, Krolia." He told her, stroking her arm gently. "Today has been pretty rough for you, hasn't it?"  
   "Well, considering the fact that I've vomited five times today, and it's only noon, yeah... It's pretty awful."  
"I'm really sorry about this..." Steven said with a sigh, slowly taking ahold of her hand. "All of it. I wish there was something I could do to help ya'."  
   "Just keep doing what you're doing. It means a lot to know I have someone here for me. The support is all I need..."  
   Silence fell over them as he said nothing in return.  
   "Say something, please. This is getting to be a really uncomfortable situation."  
Still, nothing.  
"Steven, please!"  
   "Sorry... It's just... I've never heard ya' say anythin' like that. Are you alright mentally??" He asked her half jokingly.  
   Immediately, Krolia turned bright red. "Apparently not!" She covered her face with her hands, sighing and shaking her head, disappointed with herself. "I cannot believe I just said that. Please tell me I didn't actually say something that... nice!"  
   Steven couldn't help it, he just started laughing. "Yeah, ya' did. I think this hormonal imbalance is having a nice effect on you."  
   "Stop it! You're being so mean!" She grabbed the pillow behind her, throwing it at Steven. "This 'nice hormonal imbalance' is really messing me up! You know it is."  
   Steven easily caught the pillow before it hit him, and placed it in his lap. "Yeah... But mood swing Krolia is much nicer than normal Krolia."  
   "I really want to hit you right now. You're such a bully."  
   "I'm the bully...? Even though you're the one who just threatened to hurt me."  
"Yep. You're the bully. Picking on me in this condition."  
Steven raised an eyebrow at her last statement. "I thought you said you didn't like your pregnancy being referred to as a condition..."  
"I don't know what like anymore..."  
He stayed quiet, only slightly nodding his head. Her mood had shifted suddenly. Not necessarily a mood swing, but it was clear she had a different outlook on the world now than she did a few seconds ago. He wanted her to speak, to explain herself, to try an work around her feelings.  
With a long sigh, she continued what she had to say. "It's probably because of all of the nausea and vomiting... But I can't help but feel that I've made a bad choice. It's not that I regret keeping the child, I just—" Krolia cut herself off, letting out another sigh. "I've had enough of the sickness, and the mood swings, and... For the first time ever, I feel self conscious, and it's because of this bump. Which is only going to get bigger! And no matter what I do, I won’t be able to hide it with loose shirts forever. Everything that’s happened to me since I became pregnant has been so demoralizing. I regret my decision, but at the same time, I don't! It's so frustrating!"  
"Would you like my opinion...?" Steven hesitantly asked.  
She nodded, her eyes fixed on the floor.  
"I think that this is all very new for ya'. You're not used to any of it, and neither am I... But I also think that the same changes that are makin' you upset and frustrated, are the same changes that are making you love the choice you made. I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your voice. You want to be a mother. You want to succeed in raising a child. You want those things. But the price you pay, so to speak, are the drawbacks of pregnancy. Neither of us knew how awful this would be for you, and quiet frankly, I feel responsible for it all. However, I also know how much you and I both want this. And that's what keeps me from truly regrettin'what's happened."  
   "You're not wrong... I do want this... I really do... But I don't even know if the emotions I'm feeling right now are real or not. And that alone is making me all the more frustrated."  
   "Don't think too much about that. I understand what you're sayin', but if you ask me, you're free to feel however you please."  
   "Not everyone can look at the world the way you do..."  
   Steven nodded, acknowledging her statement. "That's true, but if I'm the one supporting you, then don't ya' think my opinion is quite important?"  
   Krolia shrugged, "I suppose, but I still have to deal with my own opinions."  
   "I...? There's no 'I' anymore. We're a team. You're not dealing with these things alone. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm going to help you. No matter what you're goin' through."  
   "No matter what?"  
   Steven nodded. "No matter what." He gave a loving smile before standing up, "now come finish your lunch so you can rest."  
   "And if I don't?"  
   "I won't take you to see the stars."  
   Krolia leapt off the couch, hurrying to the kitchen. There was no way she'd pass up an opportunity to go outside. She had to go. 

 

***

 

"I'm goin' to ask one last time.. Are ya' sure you're up for a long walk across the desert at night?" Steven asked, helping her put on her light jacket.  
"Yeah... It'll clear my mind of the awful things that I suffered through today."  
   "True... But are you sure? Maybe we could—"  
   "You promised!" Krolia whined. "You promised we'd go. It's clear and relatively warm. I'll be fine!"  
   After a few minutes of pleading from Krolia, Steven gave in and stuck to his word.  
   The night air was cool and calming. As they walked through the sandy terrain, Krolia kept her eyes on the sky. There was only one place in the entire universe where she could look up at the stars an feel at peace. Only one planet where the sky is uninhabited by warring species. Earth was the only planet whose outdoor environment was free from the worry of being enslaved by the Galra Empire. The one planet that felt like home.  
   It wasn't long before the two were walking hand in hand through the desert. The moonlight and quiet surroundings made it more than a little romantic, although only Steven took notice to the fact.  
   "Tell me why you like the night sky so much, again." He asked when they reached their destination, an isolated plateau not too far from their home. Not too close either.  
   Krolia hummed quietly as she thought of her answer. "It's beautiful... The stars, the moon, the faint clouds. It's comforting." She took her seat, leaning back, propping herself up with her arms spread out behind her. "It's a reminder that not every planet is overrun by Zarkon and his bloodthirsty men and women."  
   "You think the night sky is all of that?"  
   She nodded, "Only here is it able to be this wonderful."  
   Steven smiled, wrapping his arm around her waist. "It is a beautiful sight. Although... It isn't as beautiful as you."  
   Krolia began the blush madly, the corners of her lips twisting upwards into an embarrassed smile. "Your flirtatious tactics don't work on me." She lied, visibly pleased by his comment.  
   "Of course they don't."  
   Krolia leaned her head against her lover's shoulder, finally able to relax after a day of absolute hellish feelings.  
   "Do you want me to name the constellations, or do you want to name 'em yourself?" Steven asked, glancing down to look at her.  
   "I like when you do it."  
   Steven nodded, pointing to the first, most obvious constellation.  
   Even though she could name each and every one of them herself, Krolia enjoyed hearing Steven talk her through the constellations, their meanings and their origins. One might say she liked when he talked about the stars because it was an excuse to hear his voice. She couldn't deny that she did like hearing him talk. All lovers enjoy the sounds of each other's voices.  
   Once all had been named, the two looked to the sky, both feeling at peace. The stars of the night sky do that to you.  
   Something caught Krolia's eyes, and she immediately lit up with excitement. "Look!" Pointing to the sky, she said, "It's a comet."  
   "Are you going to make a wish?" Steven teased, knowing how much she liked the people of Earth's conspiracies and myths.  
   Krolia, however, took this quite seriously, as she went ahead and made a wish.  
   Surprised by her commitment to actually make a real wish, or at least pretend to, Steven couldn't help but ask what she had asked for.  
   "You know I can't tell you."  
   "It's not real magic. Just tell me what you wished for. If it's reasonable, I could help it come true."  
   Krolia shook her head. "It's a secret until it comes true."  
   "You're far too optimistic about the rules of making a wish..."  
   "Trust me, it's important enough that I don't want to risk the chances of it coming true."  
   "Alright... Keep your secrets, but just know that a comet has no real magic. It's just a rock. And like nature, it has no abilities."  
   "Your species really is primitive, huh?"  
   Steven chuckled, "what? Do you know of magic trees?"  
   "No, but the Olkari can manipulate nature. They're one of the peoples we're trying to free..."  
   Steven only nodded. By now, the mention of alien species, enslaved or not, didn't phase him much. "Well, when the Blades finally do free them, send some here. We could do with a few engineers."  
   "I've never met one, but they helped build the lions. Or so I was told."  
   "Then they'll definitely have to come to Earth. We need some new technology."  
   The Marmora giggled quietly to herself, slowly beginning to lean all of her weight on her lover. "I'll send word to them immediately."  
   For almost an hour, their convention continued, accompanied with laughter, occasional silence and multiple smiles. The two were happy together. Very happy. The night sky set the moon perfectly. Relaxing and beautiful, Steven and Krolia both were able to rest and talk in the moonlight. The whole time, the two were calm and happy. Just how they should be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry... This was a bad chapter... 
> 
> I’m in the process of redoing the outline of this so this chapter is lacking.


	6. One Step Further

Fifteen total weeks as of today. Her morning sickness had completely vanished a few days ago, making her very happy, and even though her stomach is still highly sensitive, she now knows which foods are safe and which to avoid.  
Though her sicknesses may be almost completely gone, she has a new problem. One that, for her, is much more embarrassing.  
With a growing fetus, comes many bodily changes. One of which is an ever growing stomach. Now, with the child almost half it's final size, fitting into clothing has proven to be a struggle. Krolia used to be able to rely on Steven's lose and baggy shirts, but even those are proving to be quite useless now. If his shirts had fit her when she arrived, trying to wear the same things while her abdomen expands and grows is, in theory, possible, but is in no way comfortable.  
"Please tell me you're going to buy those clothes for me like I asked...!" Krolia begged, tugging at the shirt she had on. "This barely fits. It's so tight!"  
"I will. I'm sorry I forgot the other day. It got late and I was worried about ya'..."  
"I know... But I need the new clothes. These aren't going to work much longer."  
   Steven planted a soft kiss on her forehead, giving a calming smile. "I'll get them after my shift. I won't forget this time."  
   Krolia sighed, forcing a smile, "okay... be back in time for dinner though, please."  
"I will, don't worry."  
Once Steven had left, Krolia sat down on the couch, leaning back into the cushions.  
It wasn't long before she began to feel uncomfortable. Her shirt was too tight. Far too tight for someone of her stature and current physic. Humans her age would be fine in her current outfit, even ones as far along as she was.  
But she is Galra. Not human. And thus, her current clothes no longer fit her.  
The worst part about all of this, however, was that the chances of her fitting into anything are quite slim. She's far taller than most human women, and built much differently than the species as a whole.  
She sat there on the couch, for nearly an hour, pulling at and stretching out her shirt.  
"Why couldn't you just stay small....?!" She asked out loud. "You were fine just the way you were two weeks ago." Krolia finally gave up on fixing her shirt, and instead pulled it up towards her chest, letting her protruding stomach show. "But you just had to keep growing, didn't you?" She took a deep breath, running a hand along the top of her stomach. "You're making life nearly impossible..." with a long sigh, she rolled onto her side, "you just can't give Mama a break can you..?"  
   Krolia hadn't realized what she had said, how she had addressed herself as 'Mama' and not 'me'.  
   Suddenly it hit her. She didn't believe she had actually done it. Calling herself 'Mama' is such a foreign idea to her. It was a complete accident. A strangely sweet accident.  
   Though she had been talking to the child for nearly four months now, today was the first time she had mentioned her title as the child's mother without it being in a conversation with Steven.  
   As she's learned, there is a first for everything.  
   Her lips slowly formed a smile. She liked the title, Mama. She always has. Being able to use it in reference to herself, well that was something extra special. It made her very happy.    
   From that moment forward, she decided to refer to herself as Mama whenever she talked to the child. It was a calming action that she felt an odd, yet enjoyable connection to. 

 

***

 

Staying home alone was not an easy task. Not for her at least. Without being able to venture outside, she's stuck in the house for four hours by herself. Of course, there's always the option of checking on the scanners in the shed, but that only works for a few minutes or so. After a while, you're just looking at the same data over and over and over again.  
It was her job, though, regardless of how boring it could be. And so, after she had found some food to eat, she cautiously went outside and into the shed.  
"Lets see if there's anything new with you today, Blue..." she mumbled as she booted up the scanning system.  
As she had hoped, all was well with the Blue Lion of Voltron. The scanners had shown no drop in energy emissions, nor sudden rises either. That was always a good sign.  
The satellite detectors also proved fine. No approaching ships, no military forces, and no inherent danger.  
That's how it should be.  
Calm and peaceful.  
After powering down the equipment and radios, she went to turn on off the lights, when something stopped her.  
A pain in her lower abdomen. Short but strong. Caught off guard, she stopped dead in her tracks, her one hand immediately went to her stomach, the other, to the wall to steady herself.  
   Everything seemed to be fine within seconds. As far as she could tell, nothing was wrong.  
   But then the same feeling came back suddenly, just as it had before. No warning, no build up. Just a short burst of pain.  
   Now she was beginning to feel worried. One time is explainable, just a little hiccup. She could handle that, but it happened twice. She felt the same exact quick and short burst of pain two times in a row. Seconds apart from one another.  
   Krolia stood leaning against the wall for three minutes, waiting for something to happen. Something terrible, something much worse than what she had felt. She expected even the worst of situations.  
Once again, she felt the pain in her abdomen. Krolia leaned all of her weight on the wall, doing what she could to steady he breathing.  
Every possible explanation flooded into her mind. Most were terribly upsetting, so she tried her best to ignore those.  
   Being an expecting mother, however, she was forced to think of those outcomes. She couldn't help but worry that she had lost the child. Her child. Once that thought entered her mind, she frantically checked her legs and the floor for traces of blood.  
   Thankfully there was nothing. At least she could breath easy knowing that.  
   With the thought of having lost the child revoked by the physical lack of blood and now, the absence of pain, she took a deep breath and began to calm herself.  
   "See..." She said to herself, "everything is fine. I’ll just ask Steven about it when he gets home."  
   Turning off the lights, she made her way back to the main house, immediately lying down on the couch.  
   Everything felt normal after that. The feeling never came back. What a relief that was.  
   Despite its disappearance, Krolia couldn't help but to try and figure out what had happened.  
   She went over the situation in her head. Three sudden bursts of pain, then nothing.  
   "Well I'm not in labor..." she mumbled, looking to the ceiling.  
   That was an easy cause to remove. No blood, no continuous pain, nothing. Her water hadn't broken either, so that pretty much ruled out labor all by itself.   
   Braxton Hicks seemed like a good bet, although she was sure those only came in the third trimester. By human norms, she had only just entered her second three weeks ago.  
   "Maybe it was stress related..." Krolia remembered how Steven had said that stress can cause abnormalities in her symptoms. If it was serious, it could end up hurting the fetus.  
   Due to that fact, she had made a choice to rest for the remainder of the day. She wasn't going to risk anything. Not now, not ever. The expecting mother went upstairs to sit in her room and wait for Steven to return home. If there was anywhere in this house she felt the most comfortable, it was the bedroom. 

 

***

 

   Upon hearing Steven pull up to their house, Krolia made her way downstairs to the sitting room.  
   "How was it today?" She asked once he had set his stuff down.  
   Steven shrugged, "you know, the usual. No calls or emergencies, which is good."  
   "And...?" She crossed her arms, looking to him with hope in her eyes. "Did you do as I asked?"  
   "You think I forgot again?" He shook his head, handing her a shopping bag. "I found what I could, I hope these work."  
   Krolia snatched the bag from his hands, "thank you!"  
   Without warning, she bolted off to the bathroom to change out of her current clothes in hopes that the new ones will be more comfortable.  
   "Um... You're welcome..." Steven stuttered.  
   Long minutes passed before Krolia finally opened the door.  
   "Well, obviously I couldn't have been that bad at finding something that'd fit ya'." He remarked, noticing she had changed out of her previous clothes.  
   She nodded quickly. "Yes! Again, thank you. This feels so much better."  
   "Glad to hear you like it." He smiled, slightly proud of himself. "And, if ya' don't mind me askin', how were things here? Anything happen I should know about?"  
   "About that..."  
   Steven immediately showed his concern. "What...?"  
   "I had this weird pain in my stomach... It only lasted a second, but it happened a few times. Maybe three or four in total."  
   "Anythin' else off...? Or was that it?"  
   Krolia shook her head. "That was all. I was hoping you'd know what it was."  
   "Alright... Well if that's all that happened, I'm afraid I can't provide a real explanation. There wasn't any... blood was there...?"  
   "No. And if I'm correct, it's too early for those Braxton Hicks contractions. Or labor in general."  
   "That's correct." He replied, trying to think of a reasonable explanation. "Let me know if it happens again, alright?"  
   "Yeah, of course."  
   There was a moment of silence, before Steven spoke again. "How severe are we talkin' here? If you had to try and describe it."  
   "If I'm being honest, it wasn't that bad. Really, it was nothing compared to some if the injuries I sustained during my time with the Blades."  
   "Krolia... Why did ya' have to phrase it like that...?"  
   "Sorry... You wanted a description."  
   Steven sighed, shaking his head. "It's fine. Anyway. If it was really nothing, like ya' said, you could've been feeling them kick."  
   "I'm sorry." Her eyes were wide as she looked down at her stomach and back to Steven. "Feel them kick?!"  
   "Yeah... it's fairly early, but it's a possibility."  
   Krolia looked both amazed and horrified. "That's... No. that's just weird."  
   "Just promise me you'll tell me if it happens again." He said with a laugh. "And if it is kicks or movement, you'll have to get used to it."  
"What?" She giggled, "if I tell you, are you going to feel my stomach or something?"  
His silence confirmed her statement.  
"Oh hell no! You absolutely are not doing that. It's upsetting enough that I even have feel it moving. Assuming that's what it is."  
"I'm positive that's what you were feeling."  
She only shook her head. The thought of being able to feel the child move around inside of her was so strange. It was even unsettling.  
She didn't like it. It made her uncomfortable. Krolia knew eventually she would be able to feel the child moving, but it still set her on edge. This doesn't mean she can't come to like said feelings later, but for now, it was strange and unwanted. 

 

***

 

An entire day went by with absolutely nothing from the developing fetus. No sudden incidents, no pain, none of that.  
The two had just finished dinner, and Steven was kind enough to wash the dishes, something he had gotten into the habit of doing since he found out that Krolia was pregnant. It was a kind gesture he decided to do all on his own.  
"Everything alright over there?" He asked her, turning his head to look at her.  
"Yeah... I'm fine." She told him with a reassuring smile. "Just lost in thought."  
"You seemed relaxed today..." Steven commented, looking back to the sink full of plates and utensils. "I assume everything is going well."  
"Yep," she said, gently rubbing her stomach. "All is..." Krolia trailed off suddenly.  
Immediately, Steven dried his hands. He was kneeling in front of her in seconds, hoping she would talk without him asking.  
"I'm fine!" She quickly covered up her mistake of not finishing her sentence. "It's just the feeling I had yesterday. Nothing serious."  
"Do you... mind if I....?" Steven hesitantly asked her if she would allow him to feel what she was talking about.  
Krolia bit down on her lip, contemplating her answer.  
"If you don't want me to, that's fine. It's your choice after—"  
"Here." With little warning, Krolia took ahold of one of Steven's hands, very slowly and cautiously placing it atop her round stomach.  
Nothing.  
Neither Krolia, nor Steven felt anything.  
“I don't feel—"  
"Just wait." She cut him off, clearly having more patience than him.  
As she had said, all Steven had to do was wait.  
"There." She said quietly. "Did you feel it?"  
"Yeah. The sudden... tapping feeling?"  
Krolia nodded.  
Steven slowly smiled, proud and ecstatic. "Krolia, that was a kick of some sort."  
"Are you sure...?"  
He chuckled a bit as he nodded. "Yep. That's what they feel like." Steven pulled his hand back slowly.  
Krolia began to scowl. "You're joking right? I'm not actually able to feel that... am I?  
"I'm afraid so. That's what it felt like to me."  
"You're absolutely sure...?"  
Steven nodded.  
As if proving his statement correct, the unborn child gave another tiny kick.  
"Whoa..." Krolia placed a hand over her abdomen and smiled. "It's odd... Being able to feel that... But... It's... nice... I can't tell if I like it or not..."  
   Steven laughed, getting to his feet, "you'll like it eventually."  
   "And how do you know I will?" She challenged.  
   "You're a mother, Krolia." He said matter of factly. "It's in your nature."  
   "But it's so weird! And random... Why does it feel like that...?"  
   "Like what?"  
   "Like a tiny person is actually moving around inside me."  
   "Because that's exactly what's happening." He answered, giving an amusing grin.  
   "Quit laughing at me, Steven. Not everyone is so calm and collected about these things." Krolia sighed, subconsciously running her hand over her stomach. "This is all new for me..."  
   "It's all new for me too, Krolia. I just have experience with the knowledge of these happenings."  
   "Exactly! I'm completely in the dark here, you have prior knowledge at least."  
   "Fair point... But regardless, my money is on you falling in love with this whole 'feeling them move' situation."  
   "I don't not like it," she protested, "I just have to get used to it."

 

***

 

   "Do they get worse as I get closer and closer to the end of term?" Krolia asked, turning her head over her shoulder to look at Steven.  
   "First of all..." he mumbled. "Its nearly one in the morning... Second of all... probably..."  
   "It's twelve twenty, but how much worse?"  
   Steven sleepily wrapped an arm around her torso, "I'm not sure, but you should definitely sleep."  
   "I can't..."  
   "Well, I can."  
   "Steven!" Krolia whacked him with her pillow, practically growling at him. "You're a horrible person if you're honestly leaving me alone while you sleep."  
   "It was a joke!" He frantically began telling her how much he loved her, and how he would never dare let her lie awake by herself.  
   "Your sense of humor is horrendous..."  
   "It's what made you fall in love with me."  
   She shook her head, disappointed in his words. "You're despicable, and a total idiot at times."  
   He smiled, brushing her bangs from her forehead, kissing her nose. "I'm your idiot."  
   "Stop flirting with me at one in the morning! I'm not up to listen to your awful pick up lines."  
   "Then why are you awake?"  
   Krolia thought for a moment. "It might be nesting... or the fact that I took a nap around four."  
   "Let's hope it's the nap... Hold off on those nesting needs for a while, okay?"  
"Why...?"  
Steven gave an embarrassed smile, "we don't have anything for our baby. You can't exactly create a safe environment for ‘em."  
"You said you bought everything we would need!"  
"I did!" He was quick to defend himself, sensing a different tone in her voice. "But purchasin’ it and picking it up are two different things. I have to bring them home is all."  
"Then you better do that, because I am not dealing with the stress of those needs without the necessary supplies."  
"You have my word. I'll have to bring them home over the course of a few weeks since there's so much, but I'll do it."  
Krolia nodded, turning on her side, her back facing Steven. "I'm sorry if I sound stressed..."  
"Mood swings?" He asked, gently pulling her towards him while wrapping his arms around her.  
"Not this time... This time I think it's real... I'm actually stressing out about this..."  
"You're not alone."  
"Yeah, I know all expecting mothers do this. You've told me a million times..."  
"I meant that I am too." His voice was so calming. He was admitting to fear, admitting to worry. Yet he was so calm about it. "I'm always worryin’ about you and the baby. But you can count on the fact that I will not let you down. I promise I'll do everythin’ I have to."  
"Thanks... I know you will." Krolia slid her fingers in the spaces between his own, gently taking ahold of his hand. "I know you will, because like me, you want to do what's best for your child..." with a little pull on his hand, she rested it over her stomach. "I'm not the only one who already cares for this child... I know you do too."  
He smiled with great admiration for her, slowly and gently stroking his thumb over her abdomen. "Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be in a situation this wonderful, much less with you."  
"We both just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow.  
> I think we’re finally getting somewhere with this plot.  
> I’ve cut SO many chapters.  
> What is this...? 6  
> This was originally chapter 8, and the next one was supposed to be number ten, but I found ways to condense the plot b/c I know how horrible filler chapters are  
> Trust me. I watched Naruto. Half of that was not helpful for the story (I still love the show though!!)
> 
> Also!  
> Big thank you to that one person who comments on all of the chapters! Ily!!


	7. Late Night Struggles

   Steven had come home considerably later than normal. It was nearly eleven at night by the time he walked through the door. As quietly as he could , he snuck upstairs, slowly opening the door to the room he shared with Krolia.   
   Assuming she was asleep, he kept the lights off. Steven hoped he would be able to, in a sense, sneak in without disturbing her.   
   He was wrong.   
   "You're late." Krolia said suddenly.   
   "Yeah... I'm sorry about that." He replied apologetically, "I didn't think it'd take that long."  
   She sighed, tiredly pushing herself into an upright position with her hands. "It got kind of lonely around here without someone to talk to."  
   "I've been leaving every other day for the past year almost." He looked at her, raising an eyebrow in disbelief, "but you're only just now telling me that you're feeling lonely?"  
   Krolia shrugged, "I guess... Well... I am almost five whole months into this pregnancy, so I suppose my emotions could be out of wack."  
   "Is that going your excuse for everything from now on?"  
   "Apparently....."  
   Steven nodded, allowing her to have this one. "Alright. That can be your excuse." He kissed her forehead before laying down next to her, smiling as he did so. "Regardless of your 'excuse', it is most certainly time for you to get some rest."  
   "And what happens if I'm not tired?" She asked, slowly letting herself relax into a semi-comfortable position on her side. Only semi-comfortable because she was still propping herself up with an arm beneath her side.   
   "Trust me," Steven gently stroked her cheek, "you are most definitely tired."  
   "You're not wrong... I stayed up until midnight waiting for you."  
   "It was only eleven pm."  
   "Close enough."   
   It didn't take much time for the two to fall asleep, of course, they had to stop talking to do so, but once their chatter faded, both were more than ready for a good night's sleep. They were both extremely tired after all. It was late, and both were in desperate need of sleep. 

 

***

 

   Krolia didn't know what time it was at this point, but judging by the position of the moon outside the window, it was closer to morning than to midnight.   
   Some time ago, she had woken up to a sharp, throbbing pain in her side, one strong enough to pull even the heaviest sleepers from their dreams. Since that time, she hasn't even come close to falling asleep again.   
   Instead, she has more or less so rolled from side to side, trying desperately to find a comfortable position. From the beginning of this ordeal up until now, she had tried to stay relatively quiet, not wanting to wake up her partner. That being said, staying silent when you can feel your insides being squashed, and your skin being stretched by a half developed fetus is no simple task. It was no wonder a few groans and occasional whimpers escaped her lips.   
   It hurt like hell, the pain seemed to have no end. And it was clear that it would in no way be going away any time soon.   
   Placing a hand on her stomach, she let out a long, exhausted sigh. The warmth from her stomach was the only calming feeling she's had since waking up. It felt nice on her hand, but did absolutely nothing to fix the rest of her problems. Krolia slowly and gently rubbed her protruding stomach in hopes that she could, in some way, get her unborn child to relax for the rest of the night.   
All at once, the pain seemed to vanish. Maybe not vanish, but it at least became exponentially more bearable. Krolia smiled, pleased that her child understood it was causing her pain. in all likelihood, it didn't understand, but it was wonderful to know that she could now sleep without the upset of endless pain.   
   But the peace was short lived. Once she felt herself drift off to sleep, it all came back. All of it. With a strong kick from the baby, the awful pain resumed, and so did the feeling of discomfort in her lower back. What great luck.   
Krolia felt the child reposition themselves into a position that was most uncomfortable for her. This sudden change back to throbbing pain forced her to stay silent no longer. She winced in pain, biting down on her lip to muffle her noises of discomfort. "Come on...!" she whispered, somewhat angrily, "Mama is really tired, and would very much so appreciate it if you would let me sleep...!"  
   "Who are you talking to...?" Krolia jumped at hearing Steven mumble his question. He sounded half asleep, but he was awake enough to hear her speaking to her unborn child.   
   Krolia shut her eyes, staying dead silent. Something made her hope he would just go back to sleep. If he did, she could focus on ridding herself of the pain and not on explaining why she was still awake, and awkwardly talking to a fetus.   
   "I know you're awake." Steven said. Krolia heard the soft rustle of blankets as he turned to face her. "You have been for some time. Haven't you?"   
   "How long have you been up...?" She hesitantly asked, ignoring his question.   
   Steven chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. "not quite sure, but you have been moaning a lot. Are you alright?"  
   "Do you want the honest answer...? Or the too-tough-to-show-emotion answer?"  
   "You know exactly what I want to hear. The truth."  
   "No... I'm not alright..."  
   Steven instantly sat up after hearing her answer, now wide awake. "What is it...?"  
   "They're kicking and doing something that feels like stretching..." she whined, "I've never felt something this painful before. It's like they're using me as a hammock, and with absolutely no care for my own feelings. It hurts."  
   "Well that's no good... Anythin' I can do to help?"  
   "Doubt it..." Krolia rubbed her stomach, massaging it as best she could. She had this idea that if she massaged the spot of discomfort, maybe the pain would cease. Despite her efforts proving to be futile, she didn't care to stop. "Unless you know some magic earth tactic that isn't medicine, I'm just going to have to tough this out."   
   "I might know something."  
   "Please just do it... This is getting more and more unbearable with every passing minute..."  
   Steven placed a hand on her back, slowly beginning to rub it in circles. "I'm sorry it got this bad... How long do you think it's been since you last slept...?"  
   "At least an hour or so," she answered, looking over her shoulder and earning a sympathetic smile from Steven.   
   "Geez... You should've told me sooner..."  
   "I thought you were asleep," she confessed. "I didn't want to wake you over some minor fetus related issues."  
   "Minor...?" He questioned worriedly, "you're loosing sleep. That's not minor."  
   "It is to me..."   
   Steven sighed deeply, "well, it shouldn't be. This 'minor issue' is keeping you from sleeping. That isn't good for your health."  
   "Okay, okay. It's a pretty big issue."   
   "Worst part is... there's no fix except birth which most definitely will not happen for another five months, right?" He joked, attempting to lighten the mood.   
   "Well fuck..." she muttered under her breath.   
   "Krolia! How many times am I goin' to have to tell ya' to stop cussin'?"   
   "I know...! It's a bad habit. But I'm in so, so, so much pain right now. I'm within my rights to curse."  
   "You've got five months to fix it."  
   "Hmmmm...." Krolia groaned, dissatisfied with her limited amount of time. "Can't I have another mother...? Just for my own personal ease?"  
   Steven rested his head on Krolia's shoulder, softly kissing her neck. "Nope. That's all of the time we get."  
   "I'm not even tired anymore..." she complained after a few moments of silence, and she slowly resumed the massaging of her stomach. "I swear he's just doing this to spite me."  
   "He..?"  
   "They!" Krolia quickly corrected herself. "They are just doing this to spite me."  
   "So you want a son?" He asked with curiosity.   
   "No. I mean... Maybe. I really don't know. I've never thought about either. But I guess I'd like it to be a little boy. What about you?"  
   "I wouldn't mind them to be a girl, if I'm being honest. Though, a boy is just fine."  
"I suppose a baby girl isn't all that bad either..."  
Steven switched hands, placing his hand—the one that had been providing the back massage— gently on top of Krolia's. The hand she had rested on her abdomen. "So," he began, "why a boy?"  
"He'd be stronger than a female of his kind, making him a good soldier."  
"What the—"  
"I'm kidding!" She confessed, giving a quiet giggle. "If you want the truth,"  
"I do."  
"Then I guess I just like the idea of a son. I can't explain why, but I do..."  
"Barely five months and you're already hoping for one gender over the other...?"  
   "No... not exactly... I'd like a little boy. But I am still fine with either."  
   Their conversation continued for a while longer, a long while longer. The topic changed from time to time, but for the next hour and a half, the two lay awake, quietly talking to one another.   
   By the time the conversation had finished, Krolia's pain had completely disappeared. Whether it was due to the passage of time, or Steven's relaxing back rubs, didn't matter to her. All she cared about was that the pain was gone. No back aches, no discomfort, nothing.   
   This is how it should be.   
   This is how she liked it.   
   Of course, there was the occasional kick from the developing infant. That was inevitable. It was part of reproduction. The little kicks didn't bother her though. The pain they caused was low and tolerable compared to whatever had been going on earlier that night.   
   Steven had fallen back asleep first. He would've stayed up much later, but he was given the 'okay' from Krolia that he could rest. He did, however, keep his hand placed gently over Krolia's stomach. Something of both a protective and loving gesture.   
   Minutes later, Krolia had drifted off into a light sleep. Still somewhat awake, she could feel the occasional movements from her child. Some feeling inside of her prompted her to rub her stomach each time they moved. Krolia felt as though if she did this, the child would stay calmer and move about les, and she was right. Within minutes of becoming drowsy, she was out completely, exhausted from staying up so late and being woken up, and kept awake, by pain for nearly two hours.   
   She too had fallen asleep with her hand resting on her abdomen. Even after the pain subsided and the child's movement stopped, she kept her hand there. By choice. This wasn't some subconscious accident. Not this time. She liked the feeling of the child's tiny feet hitting the walls of her womb as they move about from time to time. And she liked the way she could just barely feel said feet with her hand if she was resting it in just the right place. She liked it. She liked it a lot. All of it. She loved all of it. It made her happy. A kind of joy brought on only by motherhood. The kind of feelings she had would most certainly get her kicked out of the Blade of Marmora. These were feelings of love. Love got in the way of success, compromised victory and jeopardized missions. These would not be tolerated by the other Marmora. But why would she ever confess any of this to them.  
She was here now. On Earth. Not in a Galran Soldier's uniform. She was in a cozy home. One safe from harm. Comforted by the constant reminder that she wasn't alone. Krolia had Steven, the love of her life. And in a few months, they would have a new addition to their family. A child. Maybe a boy. Maybe a girl. The uncertainty of the child's gender would make buying clothes and toys rather difficult, but they'd find a way to make it work.  
   In the end, she had fallen asleep happy, a smile lingering on her lips as she slept. 

 

***

 

After a few sleep-filled hours, morning finally came. Krolia easily could have slept for another three hours, and after last night, she deserved the extra sleep. But of course, she didn't get her extra three hours.   
One small, yet strong, kick from the baby and she was awake.   
Thankfully, this awakening came with no lingering pain. Only a few kicks this time.   
Krolia placed a comforting hand on her stomach, letting her baby know she was awake. A habit she had quickly picked up a week or so ago.   
Forcing herself awake, she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position.   
"You certainly don't like to let Mama sleep in, do you...?"  
As if confirming her question, she felt another tiny kick from her baby.   
Krolia let our a little giggle, very faintly rubbing her stomach. Again, the baby moved, lightly kicking the walls of her womb. She enjoyed how the fetus would react to outside noises and feelings. Especially the feelings part. No matter what time of day, if either her or Steven put a hand on her abdomen, their child would react with a tiny kick.   
At first, they seamed weak to Krolia, the feeling she got was so small, almost frail. When she first felt it, she had thought something was wrong. She didn't think that the tiny 'disturbance' as she had called it, could be a foot. Turns out, as new as it was for her, it was equally new for the unborn child, as it had only just developed a means of mobility.   
It was all so new, and a bit weird to think about, but that didn't stop her from quickly coming around and enjoying the miraculous happenings of her pregnancy.   
"You're up!" Steven's voice came from the doorway. He was delighted to see that she was awake. He had, in his hands, a tray of warm, freshly cooked food. "I figured that after last night, I might as well make ya' some breakfast. Surprise you with it for when you woke up."   
"You didn't have to..." She told him, "thought I do thank you very much for this."  
"Whether or not I had to is irrelevant. I did because I care." He said, taking a seat next to her in the bed. "You deserve this after a night like that."  
"Well, thank you, Steven. I am very grateful for your actions."   
Steven smiled, handing her the tray. "I do apologize for my absence when you woke up, but a surprise like this does require me to be downstairs, and not here."  
"I think I can forgive you." She teased, tasting the food he had made her. It wasn't much, just some toast, bacon and some fruit. She was still unable to be around eggs, the smell still made her sick to her stomach. This did annoyed her quite a bit, since it limited her breakfast foods to the small things. Other than eggs, she had found most, if not all other foods were fine.   
It was true that she disliked waking up in a bed all by herself. In recent days, it had even worried her on some occasions. She felt safer with him around, with him next to her. She felt calm whenever they were in the same room.   
"How have things been so far?" He asked.  
"For the few minutes I have been awake, all has been well."  
This news pleased Steven quite a bit. He was happiest when she was safe and comfortable. "Did they wake you up again? Or did ya' wake on your own?"  
Krolia let out a small sigh, keeping a smile on her face. "A bit of both. I was somewhat awake just before they woke me up completely."  
He planted a kiss on her cheek, glad to hear she had been feeling well since last night's incident. "I couldn't stop thinkin' of how you said you wanted a boy... How did you come to that conclusion...?"  
   "I don't know really..." She said with a smile, "It was just something I thought of and... Well... I took a liking to it."  
   "And if it's a girl, you'd be fine with that as well?"  
   Krolia nodded quickly. "Absolutely. I just want a healthy child... Gender is the least of my worries."  
   "You're sounding more and more like a mother every day. A real, loving, strong, selfless mother." Steven let out a short sigh, continuing to smile. "I'm proud of you, Krolia. I really am."  
   A faint red color flushed into Krolia's cheeks, and she turned her head away from Steven. "Stop being so nice... I cant think properly when you act like that...!"  
   "That's on you, Krolia." He told her bluntly, quickly chucking at a thought he had. "Strong Marmoran operative stopped by kindness of her lover. That's a great story."  
   "Oh hush! I'm not being 'stopped' by you."  
   "No, but it was funny."  
   Krolia shook her head in utter disappointment. "You're on the borderline of annoying lover boy and attention seeking loner." Staring blankly at Nothing specific, she took another bite of her toast, adding, "neither of which are good."   
   "You're so harsh!" Steven whined, resting his head against the headboard of the bed.   
   "I'm not harsh, I'm halfway through the second trimester. There's a difference."  
   "How does that relate to—"  
   "You said it could be my excuse for anything." Krolia correct him, cutting him off before he could finish his question.   
   Steven raised a brow before giving in. "I did say that..." He sighed, regretting his decision to give her such a bland and vague excuse for anything. "I really don't understand you sometimes... You're a completely different person when you're talking about, or to, our child, than ya' are talkin' to me about anythin' else."  
"Well... I think that's what it's like to be a mother... you have your loving and nurturing side reserved for you child, and your more relaxed, sometimes more fun side is for friends and other family..." she tilted her head towards Steven for confirmation. "Right?"  
"Yeah... Thats sounds right..." Steven answered, a proud, yet small, smile on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi  
> I’m super stressed out right now due to classes and family issues so this might be the last chapter for a few days
> 
> I’ll continue it soon  
> But I don’t know if I’ll make the Saturday deadline   
> Sorry!


	8. Made With Love

   Six complete months had passed. The halfway point came and went faster than the two expected it to, as it was reached just under a month ago. A total of 24 weeks have passed. Nearly 25. It was insane how quickly time had flown by. It seems like only yesterday she had noticed her heightened sense of smell.  
   Today, however, was very important. Today was dedicated to setting up the nursery. They had waited weeks for the final item to arrive. A simple crib. Steven had tried to explain that they could set up as things arrived, but Krolia refused to listen.  
   "Either it's all here or we don't start." She had said many times.  
All items were selected as a joint decision. It didn't take much for the two to agree on what to buy. They had only two criteria: safety and quality. Nothing that could injure or harm the child, and absolutely nothing without some sort of safety rail.  
There was however, one item that was not selected by the both of them. Krolia had—while looking through the lists of products in a catalog—come across something that she had instantly fallen in love with. A blanket. Plain in color, simple in design.  
It was made from a light orange-red colored fabric. It's description said it was 'for travel' and 'perfect for use at public changing stations', not for everyday, 'favorite-blankie' use. It wasn't meant to be a baby blanket. Not the normal kind. It had no cartoon animals, no fuzzy patches, no soft tassels on the sides or corners. Just a plain piece of fabric turned into a travel styled blanket.  
Regardless, she liked it more than the other options. Krolia preferred this simple blanket to the childish, fuzzy, colorful ones.  
She had waited rather impatiently for it to arrive, instantly, and oddly, keeping it with during many points of the day once it came.  
The both of them were not only excited, but also anxious to start decorating their child's room. Waiting for it all to make its way to their home was a difficult task.  
   But finally, everything was here. Krolia could hardly keep herself from becoming too excited when the two began getting the room ready.  
   Though her nesting instincts had not come yet, she was motivated by choice to organize a room just for her baby.  
   "Alright!" Steven said, opening the first box. "We can finally start this task."  
   The first item chosen—by Krolia— to set up was the crib. It was, in her mind, the most important.  
   She did, however, find its structure a little odd. "It looks like a cage..."  
   "What?" Steven withheld laughter as he examined the setup directions.  
   "I said, it looks like a cage. Why does it look like that? I'm not putting my child in a cage!"  
   "Krolia... It's not a cage. It's a crib. And the safest place for our child to sleep in."  
   "No way. I'd rather tire out my arms by carrying him around than let him sleep in that."  
   "Again with the 'him'." Steven chuckled, placing the packet of instructions down next to him. "You really do have your heart set on them being a he."  
   "No! Well, maybe. But that's not the point here! I'm talking about how uninviting this looks."  
   "First of all, its not finished, and second of all, its upside down." Steven picked up what they had put together, which included the base and two sides, turning it over. "See. Not a cage anymore."  
   "It's missing a top, but other than that, it's a—"  
   "A crib." Steven said, cutting her off. "It's a comfortable, invitin', lovely crib for our son or daughter."  
   "Fine, fine. It's a crib. But why does it look so weird? I mean.. The walls and such."  
   "Because, Krolia, human babies are very fragile. The 'walls' are put in place to prevent the child from fallin' out. Unless of course you'd rather take the walls away. Which is fine, but then the crib becomes an unsafe place. Although that would make it look less like a cage."  
   Krolia shook her head, "I'll keep the cage, thank you very much."

 

***

 

   After adding the last two sides, Steven attached it to the stand, securing the two pieces together and standing it up the way it was meant to be.  
   "Huh... That's not what I thought it'd look like..."  
   "Krolia, enough with the—"  
   "I like it." She gave a joyful smile, not so subconsciously placing a hand to her stomach. "Now what?"  
   "Now we add the bedding. You know, mattress, blankets, those things."  
   Once the mattress had been set in place, Krolia spread the small, orange-red blanket over the soft surface, smoothing it out with her hands. Standing back, she nodded, approving their work.  
   "One more thing..."  
   "Hmm?"  
   Steven picked up a small bag from the floor. "I figured he or she might want something to comfort them if they're without one of us." He handed the bag to Krolia, who took it from him slowly. "It's cheesy and was definitely an impulse buy, but I couldn't not get it."  
   Reaching into the little bag, she felt her fingers touch a soft fuzzy fabric. Pulling the small object out, she couldn't help but but laugh at what he had chosen. "Where did you find this?!"  
   "Same place I found everything else."  
   "It's adorable!" She exclaimed as she held it out in front of her.  
   In her hands, she had a soft, pale blue baby toy in the shape of a lion. Its big, cartoon styled eyes and large nose made it all the more cuter.  
   "I take it you like it..?"  
   "Like it?" Krokia shook her head, eyes fixed on the childish plush toy in her hands. "I love it. It’s because of the Blue Lion, isn’t it?”  
   Steven grinned, glad to see how pleased she was with his choice of stuffed animal. "I saw it and instantly knew I had no choice but to buy it. If we're protecting the Blue Lion, then I hope that one day, she'll protect our son or daughter if it comes to that. It's all a very messed up idea I had in approximately three seconds, but in a sense, I was thinking that they'd have a lion of their own."  
   "That's a rather complex thought for an impulsive purchase..."  
   Steven laughed, realizing how everything he had just said probably sounded weird to her. "Yeah... But regardless, I bought it and you seem very happy with it."  
   "Oh, absolutely! I am very glad you bought this." Krolia placed the little lion inside the crib, resting it against the frame. "And I'm sure he or she will like it too."  
"I would hope so," he thought aloud, "it's cute and soft, there's no way they won't like it."  
   "If I like it, they'll have to like it too."  
   Steven raised a brow, looking at her with confusion. "Oh yeah? And what's that supposed to mean?"  
   Krolia shrugged, moving past Steven to another set of boxes. "I'm hard to please."  
   "Except," he began, turning his head to watch her unpack a new set of instructions and furniture pieces, "that baby seems to have won your affection quite easily. Took about a day before ya' started to feel affection towards 'em."  
   "Oh shut up!" She groaned, throwing a wad of plastic packaging at Steven. "Like you weren't immediately attached to them!"  
   "Yeah," Steven tossed the packaging aside, moving towards Krolia to help her out, "but I'm not a cold hearted, grumpy, and hard to please warrior like you apparently are."  
   "Wow... You're so mature."  
   Her facial expression suggested she was angry, but Steven could tell she wasn't just by her tone. Her voice proved she was amused by his comment.  
   "Okay, fine. I may have become attached to our child rather quickly. But that's just motherhood, right?"  
   "Not for you... Especially with everythin’ you've been sayin' since you found out. I think it's just who ya’ are. You're not cold in nature. Are you terrifying and threatening when you're angered? Sure, but are ya’ also incredibly loving and kind? Absolutely."  
   Krolia paused in her work, waiting to see if Steven would continue. She wanted him to continue.  
   "I think motherhood had a part to play, but you're much more compassionate that you say ya' are. You're goin' to make a wonderful mother."  
   She could've started blankly at him for hours. Completely lost in his words, she couldn't believe what he had said. Steven meant every word, and for that, she was frozen in time. She would have stared at him for hours. If, of course, the child inside of her hadn't have moved about. "Wow..."  
   "Are ya' alright...?" Steven asked, eyes filled with worry.  
   "Am I alright...?" Krolia realized she had blanked out for a bit and quickly nodded her head. "Yeah! Yeah. I'm fine. Just.... You really mean that...?"  
   "Of course I do. You already have a strong connection to the child. Don't think I haven't heard ya' talking to 'em at night."  
   She blushed madly with embarrassment. "You... You hear that...?"  
   Steven nodded, "yep. And you don't say 'I'. Not once have you used that word. You call yourself 'Mama'. I hear a lot of it. More than I can remember."  
   "It's not weird... Is it?"  
   "Not at all. If anything it's the most normal thing we've experienced in the past six months."  
   Krolia couldn't help herself, she began smiling, filled with pure happiness. "That's good to hear." She started stroking her stomach, completely distracted by the movement within her she might as well have forgot why she was in the nursery in the first place.  
   Steven watched her for a few moments, pride in his eyes. "Alright, come on, Mama. Let's set up the rest of the room."  
   "Huh?"  
   "You heard me."  
   "Yeah... You called me Mama. That's... odd..."  
   Steven chuckled, passing her a few pieces to set up. "You better get used to it. You've got four months. After that, we'll be addressing one another differently. Unless you'd prefer him or her to call us by our real names."  
   Shaking her head, Krolia took the parts from him, "no... I'd prefer they call us Mama and," she paused, glancing at Steven, "and Daddy."  
   "You say it so weirdly." He said with a laugh. "And don't pause for so long."  
   "Yeah, yeah. I'll work on it." She opened the directions, beginning to set up the item known as a changing station. Something she did not understand the point of.  
   Steven sighed, moving to sit next to her, "If I'm being honest," he began "of what you say to the child, my favorite is, without a doubt, 'Mama loves you'."  
   "Well it's not false."  
   "And yet you worry if you'll be a good mother or not."  
"It's not worry, Steven." She said, looking over the instructions.  
"Then... What is it?"  
"You know I'm self conscious about all of this. You've known since I had that outburst a few months ago."  
He smiled, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "You've got nothin' to worry about. I know ya’ can't see it now, but I can. What I see from your actions and hear from your late night whispers, is that you love this child. You already care deeply for ‘em. And if I'm not wrong, you've adapted so well to each new step and change that we've been through."  
Krolia looked away, barely smiling. "I know what you're saying is correct, and I do believe every word, but I still can't shake the fears of my past." She let out a sigh, continuing with what she had to say. "Humans are such kind, loving beings, putting the lives of others above their own. You raise your children with so much love and affection... but I an not human. I'm a Galra. A race whose entire existence relies on bloodshed and murderous acts. The exact opposite of what it takes to raise a child. I know I love the child, and I know the love I feel is real, but... What if it changes? What if I change? What if between now and birth my feelings change. Or after they're born, what if I revert to my vicious nature? I almost killed you on multiple occasions. I'm not a loving being. I want to be! But I am violent at heart..." Krolia was visibly emotional, maybe even ready cry, but she wasn't typically one to cry. Sure, her hormones and mood swings set her on edge and forced her to be close to tears at times, but she's never actually cried. Although, by the looks of it, she might now.  
Steven didn't know what to say, he wanted to help her, he wanted to say something to make her feel better, but nothing came to mind.  
"I don't want to be a bad mother... I want to raise them with love. The way you would raise them. But what if I can't...?"  
Gently, he wrapped his hand around her fingers, slowly taking her hand from the floor. "You don't have to try an’ be a good mother," he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her finger tips, "You're already a wonderful mother... a naturally, kind, lovin', compassionate mother." Steven placed her hand on her stomach, keeping his own hand rested on top of hers. "You might not see it yet, but you are all of those things ya' want to be. You're already a great soon-to-be mother. By human standards, you’re probably one of the most selfless and caring expecting mothers."  
   She said nothing. Krolia was silent, but she did slowly looked to Steven, forcing a smile.  
   "You've got nothin' to worry about." He reassured her, "I know my words mean nothin' to ya', but you can do this. You can raise our child the way you want, because you're you... you're nothin' like your predecessors."  
   "How are you so sure?"  
   "I'm sure, Krolia. I'm absolutely sure."  
   "Alright, then... how do you know?"  
   "You really don't believe me?" Steven nodded, chuckling a little, "You will eventually, Krolia."  
   Krolia very slowly nodded. "How are you so convincing? You said nothing..."  
   "I don’t think I’m convincing... I think ya’ just know, deep down inside that I’m right.”  
“I know you’re right, and that’s the problem...! I know that my feelings and thoughts are, in a way, fake, because what you say is absolutely true.” She hung her head, her eyes fixed on her stomach. “But despite all of that, I still can’t shake the idea from my mind. I...” Krolia paused, taking a breath as her child moved and kicked. “I just want to be a good mother for our child...”  
“I know ya’ do...” he lifted his hand from hers, tilting her chin up so she could look at him. “But you have got to believe me when I say that you are a good mother. You love the child unconditionally, and they’re just barely over half their size. Don’t let these thoughts an’ feelin’s blind you from that.”  
“I... I’ll do my best...” She agreed to his words quietly, her hand still placed on her stomach, rubbing it with her thumb.  
Steven leaned towards her, softly placing a kiss on her forehead. “I know you will..... Now! Let’s finish putting the remaining bits an pieces together.”  
The two worked diligently to finish the nursery. Once they were on task again, Steven kept the talking to a minimum until Krolia seemed to be in a much calmer, more relaxed mood, which is when they resumed their normal conversations.  
After the changing table was set up and equipped with sanitary items, paper towels and a comfortable mattress for their baby to rest on, they moved onto the dresser.  
It was small in comparison to theirs, but that’s unsurprising. This is for an infant, not two adults like themselves.  
The setup for the dresser was simple, and the two finished it rather quickly.  
Next, were the decorative items. A night light, a lamp, two soft, fuzzy mats and a rocking chair. Krolia didn’t understand the function of the chair, but it was incredibly comfortable, especially with the seat cushions the added.  
“Are we done?” Krolia asked, taking a seat in the rocking chair, tired out from all of the work.  
Steven looked around their surroundings, searching for something. “Not quite... there’s one more box...”  
“Please no more building. I’m all worn out...”  
“Don’t worry, it’s not— Aha!” He found what he was looking for, and picked up the box with a victorious smile. “This was also an impulse buy.”  
She couldn’t help but laugh as he opened the final package. “What is this item? Another stuffed toy?” She asked teasingly.  
“Sort of, but this has a function.”  
Curiosity kicked in, “oh, really?” She asked, getting to her feet, slightly struggling at first, before walking towards Steven.  
“I saw that.” He glanced back, making sure she was alright.  
“Saw what...?” Krolia tried keeping a straight face, but gave in when she saw Steven shaking his head. “Okay, fine! Getting to my feet is becoming a challenge. So what?!”  
“I just want to make sure you’re okay.”  
I’m fine.” She reassured him, leaning against the dresser as she watched him remove the last ‘surprise’.  
“Be careful from now on, please...”  
“Alright... I’ll be careful.”  
With an approving nod, Steven presented her with the item in hand. “This, Krolia, is called a mobile. It comes in all sorts of different colors, themes and designs.”  
“Uh-huh...” she stared him in utter confusion. “What does it do?”  
“Glad you asked.” Steven attached it to one of the guard rails of the changing station, adjusting the length of the stand. “For a while, human babies can only see very short distances. They tend to stare at objects from time to time, ones that capture their attention. This is probably one of mankind’s finest creations.”  
“How so...?” Krolia tapped the side of the mobile, causing it to slowly spin. “Hey, it moves...!” She sounded moderately entertained by this newfound information.  
“Yeah, it does move, it’s point is to grab the child’s attention and,” he passed pressing a button on the side, carefully making the thing spin again, “calm them down if they’re scared or uncomfortable.” Soft music played from the tiny speakers for ten or fifteen seconds before fading out. “Not to mention, the little toys are adorable.”  
Krolia nodded, now smiling, “I think it’s a sweet little addition.” She pointed to the little plush items hanging from the mobile, saying “I like the them, too. The stars and planets. I take it this is representative of your solar system?”  
“Yeah... Its nothin’ special, but I thought that if their mother was from a distant world, this would be a good choice for them.”  
“You did a pretty good job...” she commented, looking around the room, running her hands along the lower part of her protruding stomach, feeling her baby gently kick in response.  
“I’m goin’ to go out on a whim here and say you like this room.”  
Instantly, she nodded, “Absolutely! I love it!” Her eyes drifted to her hands, “and I think they like it too...”  
“Can I...?”  
“Steven, you don’t have to ask to feel your own baby...!” Krolia couldn’t help but chuckle at how cautious and polite he was being. “Give me your hand.”  
He did so, letting her take his hand and place it over her stomach. “This never gets old...” he commented, feeling the movement of the child beneath his hands. Hi voice full of excitement, yet still low and quiet. “Are you sure ya’ don’t want me askin’ to feel ‘em?” Steven asked, slowly retracting his hand  
“They’re your child too. You’re allowed to feel them whenever you’d like. As long as I’m in a good mood. Like I am now.”  
“In that case...” Steven moved to stand behind her, wrapping both hands under her round belly and smiling. “You best get used to this.”  
Krolia smiled, leaning back on him, “I think I already am...” She rested her hands on his, smiling even more at the feeling of her child, no, their child moving about in response to their actions. “I think they are too...”  
“They most definitely are...” slowly, he tilted his head to face her as best as he could. “You know... Despite all that has happen, you’re somehow more optimistic than ever. Your hormonal imbalance gives you quite the character.”  
“Either say something nice or I’m taking back your ‘baby-feeling’ privileges.” She threatened in all seriousness.  
“You want a compliment...?”  
Krolia looked at him, eyes filled with disappointment. “Yeah... I do.”  
“One compliment? That’s kind of hard...” he could tell she was about ready to slap him, so he quickly continued with his statement. “There are just too many to chose only one thing... Your eyes are like beautiful crystals, your skin is soft and warm, perfect for late night cuddles.” He paused solely to kiss her cheek. “Not to mention, you’re intelligent, compassionate, funny when ya’ want to be... Protective, strong, outgoin’... Everythin’ about you is special.”  
“And what about my poor temperament in recent days, my picky nature when it comes to food, or the sheer amount of growth in my stomach that I’m now too heavy and clumsy to get to my feet?”  
“I said everythin’, didn’t I?”  
For the first time in weeks, she wasn’t distracted from her surroundings by her child’s movement. This time, it was the other way around. “Yeah... you did...” She looked away suddenly before turning back and kissing him on his lips. She pulled away seconds later, smiling compassionately. “Thank you, Steven...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was meant for yesterday  
> Sorry for it being late  
> I wrote this all throughout the night and FINALLY finished editing.  
> I was finally able to post this  
> I’ve been working on this for a very long time  
> I wanted it to be perfect  
> Guess I’m not too dissimilar from Krolia :)  
> Anyway  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and continue to leave kudos and comments. I love the feedback!!! <3
> 
> //next update will be tomorrow to fix the schedule that I messed up\\\


	9. Don’t Panic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mention of more mature content

   "You're quiet active today, aren't you?" Krolia asked her child, moving her hand along the surface of her stomach, smiling as she felt them respond with a few gentle kicks.   
   Two weeks into her third and final trimester, and things were going smoothly. At thirty weeks, she has just under three months until her baby arrives, and she could not be happier.   
   "Don't do anything too crazy..." she whispered pleadingly. "It's just Mama at home now."  
   Steven had left earlier than normal in hopes to come home earlier as well. He had called in saying he had some 'things' to do at home and would like to take the morning shift to have the rest of the day off. It was no surprise that he was allowed to make this sudden change, he was a good man, a hard worker, and tremendously skilled at what he did. He was, in a sense, the favorite.   
   In recent days, Krolia had gotten into the habit of listening to the radio or watching the news. Not the usual, searching for danger type of listening, this was more so for personal comfort. The music selections of this planet were not her taste, thus she stuck with broadcasted news to distract herself from the fact that she was alone.   
   Even now, the portable radio was on, at a quiet volume, but still turned on.   
   Krolia often found herself in the nursery. Not because of nesting instincts, but instead, by choice. It had a comforting aura to it. Which is a good thing. If it can keep Krolia calm, even with all of her mood swings and discomfort, then it would be a perfect environment for a child. Their child.   
   Taking a seat in the rocking chair by the window—a type of chair she still found rather odd— she gazed out at the desert around her. The usual sights, sand, rocks, hills, shrubs and cacti. This was all she knew. Krolia was aware that Earth had much more than this, she knew of the forests and the plains, the oceans and the beaches, the mountains and the caves. She knew it all existed, and a part of her wanted to see it all, with Steven and their child. Though she adored where she lived, she still longed to see the rest of the planet. But she is Galra, not human. Their child is part Galra, not full human. The two might never get to leave this house.   
   She ran a hand over her abdomen, "I promise you this," she began, her voice soft and caring, "one day, you and I will venture out into the world. We'll experience it all. And maybe, when it's safe, I'll take you to see the stars..."  
   Her baby seemed to like her talking to them, as they moved about at the sound of her voice.   
   "You like that too, don't you?" Krolia let a giggle escape her lips as she smiled down at her round stomach. "I'll keep that promise. I will take you on an adventure one day. Maybe soon, maybe when you're all grown up, maybe when I'm all old and stiff. It won't matter to me. I will take you on a tour of the word."  
   Although Steven would most definitely disagree with her views, Krolia very much so like the idea of seeing more of their planet than just the desert.   
   "We'll start small," she told her unborn child, "seeing the Blue Lion is a must. Maybe the two of you will even grow close..."  
   There were two ways that statement could be taken. Bonding with a lion meant becoming its Paladin. A paladin is something Krolia did not want her son or daughter to be. The war was no place for a child of hers. But on the other hand, if her child grew up with the knowledge of the lion, maybe they would help protect it. That was what she hoped, since protecting a Voltron Lion on Earth was a simple task.   
"Your father is not a fan of us going outside of the house," she informed her child, shaking her head slowly, "but Mama will find a way to convince him."   
Krolia knew the chances of Steven ever letting her leave the desert were slim. He had been growing more and more protective of her and their child in recent weeks. It was most noticeable in the ways in which he treated and spoke to her. There was obvious change in his reactions to the smallest things. As of last week, it seemed as though even a tiny kick from the child was enough to worry him. Steven was clearly going through some sort of pre parental panic attack. Krolia's limited movement due to the size of her stomach only worsened Steven's worries. He wouldn't allow her to put away the groceries or unload the dishwasher, much less leave the house until their child was strong and healthy enough to go across the desert.   
Her child repositioned themselves into a position that was terribly uncomfortable for Krolia. She felt the walls of her uterus being stretched far too much by her baby's feet. Krolia let a deep groan escape her lips as she sat up straight, rubbing her stomach in an attempt to get them to move.   
Normally, Steven would be the one to massage her back and calm the child, but he is not here. For the past three weeks, she had been having worsening back pain and awful discomfort in her abdomen. Knowing nothing of these feelings, she had asked Steven about it. His explanation was simple. Terrifying, but simple. The infant was reaching its final size, limiting the open space around it substantially. Plus, her body was simply readying itself for labor, a long, painful, inevitable, and exhausting task.   
"You just had to stretch out, didn't you...?" Krolia took a deep breath, feeling an immense amount of pressure build on her back. "Really...? Are you sure you want to do that? You know Mama absolutely hates when you stretch out like that." She continued to breath through the pain, hoping it'd stop sooner rather than later.   
After seemingly endless minutes of massaging the underside of her abdomen and sitting in multiple positions in desperate attempts to rid herself of the pain, the unborn child finally relaxed.   
Krolia felt them move their feet, pushing just hard enough to make an imprint on her skin.   
Acknowledging the child's new position, she rested her hand over the point at which she felt their protruding feet.   
"You can relax now... Trust me... Mama is well aware that you're in there..."

 

***

 

Eight thirty. Three hours since Steven said he would be home.   
Krolia had spent most of her day downstairs, but had recently moved upstairs, bringing with her, the portable radio. His longer than normal absence had worried her, but she figured they were just short staffed. Krolia let that be the explanation and it kept her relatively calm.   
After taking a quick shower, she went back upstairs to the nursery, the towel she had used was still wrapped around her head, something she had learned from Steven.   
All was well in the house. The nursery was in perfect condition, Krolia felt refreshed and happy, and the unborn child resting in her womb was calm and still. No stretching, no pain, no kicks, nothing.   
She slowly pulled the damp tower from her head, setting it down on the rocking chair, far too lazy to take it back downstairs. Still, all was fine.   
But then everything changed.   
She had been running her hand along the railing of the crib when something on the news report grabbed her attention.   
"A fire broke out earlier today on the corner of Woodrowe Avenue and Hawthorn Street. Teams of firefighters were sent to the location immediately, of those men and women, there is Steven Kogane, a local hero..."  
Krolia stopped moving altogether, maybe even breathing as well.   
"It had burned for nearly an hour from start to finish. Many civilians were wounded. A handful of first responders still have not exited the building."  
Without giving any thought to the situation, Krolia flew into a panic, leaning all of her weight against the nearby wall to provide herself with some support. Something bad had happened, something terrible. Not necessarily to Steven, but someone was injured. What if it was him? And if not... What if he was next?  
"Breathe, Krolia!" She yelled, slamming her head against the wall behind her. "He's fine.... Everything is fine..."  
But once again, nothing stayed perfect.   
Barely fifteen minutes had passed since the initial broadcast when the reporter came back.   
"The building collapsed under the heat and structural damage. So far, we have ten injured, four are under the age of eighteen, one is a first responder."  
Krolia turned off the radio, taking as deep of a breath as she could manage. Her reaction was not typical of her personality. Her panicky reaction was due to her pregnancy and her hormones.   
She felt her child kick madly. "Please, not now... any time but now...!" She begged them, rubbing her stomach somewhat frantically. Krolia wasn't an idiot. She knew exactly why her baby was kicking so forcefully. It was scared. Just like her. With her heart rate raised to its current level, the unborn infant was reacting in the only way it knew how.   
She counted seven more painful kicks from the baby before everything stopped suddenly.   
"There...." She breathed out, slowly calming her breath. "I told you everything was—"  
Out of nowhere, the muscles in her abdomen stiffened, releasing after some time with a burst of pain.   
"Shit...!”  
Krolia moved her hand over her stomach in every possible way she could think of. She had just felt a contraction. If the child moved, it was the common occurrence late in pregnancy known to humans as Braxton Hicks. If not, this was real, and her water would break any second now.   
"Come on...! You've been moving all afternoon...! Don't you dare think you're coming now."  
Absolutely nothing. Not a single kick, not one tiny feeling of movement.   
"Fuck!"   
She grabbed the towel from where she had left it, tossing it on the floor at her feet. Using the wall as support, she lowered herself to her knees, slowly extending her legs out in front of her.   
"You want to come out now?!" She truly could not be more unhappy with the current situation. "That's fine! See if I care!" With a few strong tugs on her pant legs, she slid them off, quickly wrapping the towel around her waist. It barely fit. Thirty weeks of growth made fitting anything around her waist nearly impossible.   
Krolia felt strangely prepared for this. In reality, however, she was not in any way prepared for childbirth.   
"You're way too early!" She suddenly yelled, a wave of fear rushing over her. "You're a total idiot to come out of me right now." She warned. "You don't have functioning lungs. Please rethink this."  
Krolia gripped the windowsill above her head tightly, feeling the muscles of her uterus tense up again. Twenty seconds passed before things loosened up.   
"You're a fucking idiot, you know that?!"   
Minutes passed with nothing. No contractions, but no movement from her child either.   
Something crossed her mind in this moment of 'calm'. She was thirty weeks in. He baby has not yet changed its orientation. It's what the books call 'flipped'.   
"No, no, no, no, no!" Krolia shook her head many times, placing her hands on the towel, pushing it down to the floor, purposefully covering the Galra equivalent of a vagina. She kept her hand pressed to the towel, putting pressure on that area, hysterically trying to stop the child from coming. “You gotta stay in there longer, kid. You physically cannot be born the way you are...!"  
Another contraction came, much later than the first two.   
"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" She groaned loudly, the discomfort was absolutely horrendous. "Of course I need medical help, of course he's early, and of course Steven isn't here!"  
"Krolia?!"   
Her attention immediately focused on the doorway. "Steven?!" Krolia felt relieved for five whole seconds before feeling a contraction again. "I'm— fuck..." she took a deep breath, ignoring the pain as much as she could. "I'm upstairs!"  
In an instant, he was in the doorway.   
"Get the fuck over here!" She yelled, "I think I'm in labor!"  
"Holy shit...!" Steven dropped his belongings, rushing over to her. "You're way too early to go into labor. You can't be serious!"  
"I'm having contractions. I'm sure."  
"They've gotta be Braxton Hicks. There's just.... There's no way they're coming this early." He looked into her violet eye, his own filled with sorrow. "They won't make it in the world... They won't even make it through labor. Krolia... They're going to—"  
"Shut up! For once can you just shut up!" She hurriedly rubbed her eyes, passing it off as pain as best as she could. "They're not going to die! Just... Help me deliver this damn kid then deal with their health."  
"I can't..."  
"What?!"  
Steven hung his head. "I would have to perform a Caesarian Section. I simply cannot do that. I'd lose both of ya'..."   
"Steven. If you perform the procedure, you can take our child to a hospital. Forget about me. I'm irresponsible and curse too much to be a good mother anyway."  
He gripped her hand tightly, placing his other on her stomach. "You'll never see your child. They might not even make it through the c-section."  
"It's a risk I'm willing to take. At least they'll have a chance."  
"I can't do it! I won't!" He let go of her hand entangling her fingers in her hair. "I'm not loosin' you...!"  
Krolia shook her head, biting down hard on her lip as she felt a contraction. It was the first in a while. "Just do it... if I don't make it, please, give them—" she stopped mid sentence.   
"Krolia...? Give them what...?"  
She placed a hand on her stomach. The same feeling came back just as before. Or maybe not so similar.   
"Krolia?!"  
"You didn't feel that?!" She asked him, running her hand across her stomach.  
"It's just a—"  
   "That wasn't a contraction." Krolia quickly looked up at him, feeling the same thing again.   
"What was that...?"  
"They're moving... Holy shit—sorry! Steven! They're moving!"  
"What does that mean...?"  
Krolia grabbed his hand, forcefully pressing it on her stomach. "Can you not feel that?!"  
"I can..."  
"So...! It's not labor. Holy fuck! It's the damn Hicks!"  
"Whoa whoa! What?! How did you not know?!"  
"They stopped moving! It wasn't my fault!" Krolia let a long sigh of relief escape her lips. "I feel like such an idiot..."  
"Just... tell me what happened..."  
"I don't know... I was fine until I heard the news broadcast about the fire and I heard your name..."  
Steven nodded, he understood the rest. "Yeah... I did my best to come home as soon as possible... but there were so many people who needed help... I guess you stressed yourself out so much you forced Braxton Hicks on yourself..."  
"You have to teach me the difference between the two!"  
Steven nodded, kissing her forehead. "Definitely. I would've before, but I thought your species wouldn't get something like them. Thought maybe the Galra had evolved past the need for ‘em." He helped her to her feet, waiting for her to gain her balance before stepping back. "Just... Put some pants on first."  
"You've seen my naked, why should—"  
"Krolia! Stop talkin' like that. You're about to be a mother for God's sake!"  
"It was a joke...!" She sighed glancing to her pants on the floor. "You want to get those for me? Or are you going to make me struggle? I could do it, but bending down hurts so much. It’s not worth the pain just to pick them up myself."  
Steven nodded, placing the piece of clothing in her hands. "You're welcome to change into something much more comfortable."  
"I'm definitely changing."  
Steven laughed, following her our into the hallway. "I'll be downstairs. I picked up some dinner for us on the way home."  
"I can't wait...!" Krolia smiled, entertaining their bedroom, pulling out some looser clothing for the dresser.   
"Just yell if anything happens."

 

***

 

"I guess we're nearing the end..." Steven said with a sigh.  
   Krolia nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. "Yeah... Just nine and a half weeks..."  
   After they ate a late dinner, the two went outside to watch the stars. They both knew it was not the time for a late night walk in the desert, so they settled for the front porch.   
   "Are ya' excited?"  
   "Excited is such a strong word... I'm looking forward to being done with all of these awful effects of being pregnant. That's for sure."  
   "How about your feelings towards bein' a mother?"  
   She hummed, her eyes fixed on the night sky. "I'm scared, but also ecstatic."  
   "You're scared of... Bein' a mother?"  
   "Mhm..."  
   "Same reasons as always?"  
   Krolia shook her head. "Not quite. After today, I realized that birth is a very real thing. A thing that I am in no way ready for."  
   Steven scoffed, rubbing her arm with a gentle hand. "Darlin'... Nobody is prepared for givin' birth. Not even mothers who've done it several times before. It's painful an' unpredictable. I, myself, am not ready for you to go through all of that."  
   "On the plus side," Krolia began, slightly changing the subject, "we get to see our child after all of this time. That's a nice reward."   
   He was surprised by her optimism, glancing at her to make sure she wasn't sleep talking. "Yeah..." he finally said. "Seeing them will be a nice reward."  
   Krolia pulled her legs up onto the porch, changing her position so that her head rested in Steven's lap. "You still owe me that apology if I give birth on October 23rd." She mumbled, keeping her eyes on the stars.   
"Why can't I apologize now and get it over with?"  
"Because it's August 16th, and I have neither given birth nor is it October 23rd."  
"What if you go into labor on the 23rd but they're born on the 24th?" He asked, an attitude in his tone of voice.   
"Awful timing on their part, but you still owe me an apology."  
"Alright... Then let's hope I'm apologizing. At least that we can sort of know."  
She nodded, smiling as she looked up at the stars. "Oh! Look!" She pointed to the sky, specifically a small white dot moving across the sky. "There's that space station you were talking about."  
"So it is." Steven watched the spacecraft slowly fadd from view, his gaze falling on the woman resting beside him. "What's it like up—"  
"I'm not talking about that. Not now. Not ever. Unless the time is right, I will not discuss my time with the blades. You know that."   
"No... not fighting. I meant, what is it like in space? Sights wise. Minus the warships..."  
Krolia thought for a moment, "it's nice... Very quiet, but beautiful. You get to see all sorts of difference constellations, planets and galaxies. But the imminent danger does ruin it all."  
"I still can't believe you came from another planet."  
She laughed, looking to him in disbelief. "It's been over a year! How can you still be surprised by that?"  
"Krolia... I'm still unsure as to how I became a first responder fifteen years ago. Yet here I am."  
"Well, I crashed here, you helped me recover. Then, I fell in love with you, did some questionable stuff, got pregnant and now I'm suffering through the consequences."  
"This," he paused briefly, placing a hand to Krolia's stomach, "this not a consequence."  
She pushed his hand away, covering her stomach with her own hands as she pouted like a toddler. "Quit it...! You're making them move a lot...! I was finally comfortable for once."  
"You cannot honestly tell me you don't like that feelin'."  
"I do... It was just sudden."   
She groaned after a moment, letting her hands rest on the wooden floor beside her. "Fine! You can feel the baby."  
Steven gave an approving nod, resting his hand atop her stomach once again. "Thank you."  
Krolia rolled her eyes trying to ignore the uncomfortable stretching out of her abdomen by the child. "They have no sense for compassion."  
"They don't have real lungs, of course they have no feelings." He chuckled, pleased with feeling his child's hands and feet beneath the palm of his hand. "I know you love feelin’ them move. Even with the pain they can sometimes cause."  
"Well... Yeah... Of course I do... I'm their mother."  
“That you are...”  
   Silence fell over the two and Krolia quickly moved to sit up. Struggling immensely.   
   "Don't hurt yourself..." Steven helped her to sit up, a part of him beginning to worry again.   
   "I'm getting worse at that everyday..." she commented, forcing a laugh to lighten the mood. "I just want this kid out...! I'm ready for the trials of motherhood...! No more tortures of pregnancy."  
   "You've got to give birth first, then you can tackle being a mother."  
   "But you said I'm already a mother..."  
   His eyes widened. She was right. He did say that. "Yeah... You're already an excellent mother."  
   Krolia ran her hand for the top of her stomach to the bottom, it was almost a perfect sphere. "We're so close..." She commented. "So, very close..."  
   "Just a fee weeks now..."  
   "Nine weeks and five days..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s a few hours late but here’s chapter 9!  
> I can’t believe how far I’ve gotten in this story!!  
> We’re getting really close to baby Keith!!   
> Lil keef!  
> Trust me. It gets really interesting after this.   
> Well... To me.   
> Lots of focus on biology and Galran ways of coping with the final months of pregnancy.   
> Won’t spoil anything, but there’s lots of cuddling to come. 
> 
> Thank you again for reading!


	10. Love And Longing

To put the current situation simply, it was the most uncomfortably painful week of her life.

   Krolia had been suffering from Braxton Hicks, and suffering badly. At least three occurrences daily, and with a much worse amount of pain than normal.

   Both her and Steven had agreed that she was experiencing them at such a degree because of her biology. She's not human, and her body doesn't know how to deal with a human baby. She was supposed to give birth two whole months ago. At six months. Like a normal Galran would have.

   Thanks to her baby being part human, though, she has not yet gone into labor.

   The body of a Galra will do almost anything to keep the unborn child alive until labor ensues. It'll even adapt to, more or less so, mimic the womb of another species, copying those needs.

   This being said, Krolia's body simply was not be prepared to carry a child for this much time. The chances of her pregnancy continue for longer than a week or two was highly unlikely. Which would be dangerous as there is a chance that the more human parts if the fetus would be underdeveloped.

Size was not the problem in this situation. If anything, she was on the small side in comparison to other Galra. The problem was in her DNA. She wasn't made to carry a child in her womb for more than six months, much less a child who is part human.

   Despite her efforts, she simply couldn't bear the discomfort alone any longer. After weeks of keeping it held in, she came clean, telling Steven everything.

   Now he that he knows these challenges and problems, he has become the single most protective person in the universe.

   On this particular morning, around six am or so, she was pulled from her sleep by a false contraction. Krolia gasped slightly, the sudden feeling of pain flowing over her back and lower abdomen. Her immediate reaction was to wake her lover. A good decision really. "Steven...!"

   Silence.

   "Steven...! Wake up...!" She was louder this time, but still nothing. Krolia would have yelled, but the sheer pain of the Braxton Hicks contraction completely stopped her breathing for a split second. Instead, she kicked him. She kicked him hard, her heel rammed into his leg just below his knee.

   Steven jolted awake, instantly sitting up. "What's wrong?!"

   "Another one of those damn contractions...! Braxton Hicks woke me up...again."

   He didn't have to wait for instruction, in a second he was rubbing her back, massaging it in circles.

   "I'm getting really tired of these...!" She moaned, running her hand over her stomach. "I get it, okay...?! I'm close to giving birth but do I  really need to feel these contractions daily?!"

Krolia was just over thirty five weeks in. So terrifyingly close to the last month. She was so uncomfortable in her own skin, even without the fake contractions. Her stomach was, for her, huge, but somehow she still had a week or two for it to reach its final size. Luckily, that wasn't much bigger. To her dissatisfaction, however, once again, her clothing was tight on her. She no longer fit comfortably into any apparel for a human at the end of their term.

Ten minutes had passed since the first contraction before they faded.

"That's one way to wake up..." Steven commented, a hint of humor in his tone.

"I'm _not_ in the mood." Krolia oriented herself into an upright position, her feet dangling over the edge of the bed. She felt a sudden pain rush through her lower abdomen, stopping her movements completely. It wasn't a contraction, thankfully. Just the weight of her unborn child shifting positions inside of her.

"Do you need help?" Steven asked her, ready to provide assistance if her answer was yes.

"I'm fine...!" She snapped, blinking away the pain. Krolia hatedhow his worrying caused him to treat her as if she was incapable of doing anything on her own. That wasn't too far off from the truth. Even the simplest tasks were becoming increasingly more difficult with each passing day. "I'm just getting some water. You're welcome to go back to sleep."

"I was only askin' because I—"

"I said I was fine! I don't need you to help me stand up. I can do it just fine on my own! Go back to sleep, I can tell that you're tired."

The heavily pregnant Galra waited for Steven to no longer be worrying about her before she forced herself to her feet, pushing down on the mattress below her to stand. Krolia leaned back as she did so, trying to counteract the weight of her unborn child.

   The infant kicked hard, throwing her off her balance. Krolia did what she could to work past the sudden discomfort, but unfortunately, her right hand slipped out for under her. She yelled in pain as she hit the ground hard, cursing multiple times under her breath.

Steven hadn't seen her fall, but he sure heard it. Mere seconds passed before he was at her side. "Are you alright?!" He asked, his voice fraught with panic.

"Yeah... I'm fine..."

"Are you s—"

"No! Of course I'm not fine! I just fell!" She shut her eyes, clutching her stomach with her left hand. "It hurts so much...!" Krolia slowly let go, burying her head in her her hands, moaning as she felt the infant push and pull the walls of her uterus in two different directions.

"Are you... crying...?"

"No...!" She was. She was undoubtedly crying.

"Hey, hey... It's okay..." Steven placed a hand on her cheek, softly rubbing it with his thumb. "You're alright. You just lost your footing."

"Lost my footing?! That's really all you think happened?! I fell, Steven! The only thing I could have lost was this child."

   "But ya' didn't. That's a good thing."

   Krolia pulled her legs up to her chest, or at least as much as she could, and rested her head on her knees. "You're being too optimistic... I'm _suffering_. I really don't know how much more of this awful pain I can take..." She hurriedly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, taking control of her emotions  

   "It's only goin' to get worse if you think like that..."

"I know, I know...!"

To prove his point, the unborn child began kicking madly. They felt the change in their mother's composure, reacting accordingly.

"I'm going to _kill_ this child. I swear I'm going to do it...!"

Steven shook his head slowly, "no, you're not going to do that. You know you won't." He wrapped his arms around her, resting a hand on her abdomen. "Even if they're makin' ya' this uncomfortable."

"How come they always stop for you...?!" She complained, feeling her child settling down. "It's so unfair...!"

"It's just how it is."

Krolia let out a sigh, one suggesting she was in a terrible mood. "I'm so close to losing it...! If they're not born within the weekend I will force them out...!"

"You're not doin' that either."

"Why can't I?"

   "Because, for one, it won't work, and two, it'd be extremely dangerous for both of you if you try to induce labor without medical help."

"Then you better think of a solution, and think of one fast." Placing a firm hand on the floorboards next to her, and another on the bed behind her, she pulled herself to her feet, staggering a few inches before stabilizing herself.

"Whoa whoa!" Steven hopped to his feet, standing directly in front of Krolia. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"Downstairs...? It's six in the morning, and I'm hungry."

"Absolutely not...! You're stayin' up here and restin'."

"You can't make me sit up here all day!"

Steven placed his hands on her shoulders. He applied light pressure from his palms and forced her to sit down. "You wanted a solution. This is your solution. You've lost countless hours if sleep and I'm not goin' to let you roam this house in your current state."

"I just want something to eat..."

"And I'll bring ya' somethin'. But I want you to try an' rest. Alright?"

"And what are you going to be doing while I 'rest'?"

"I'll be in and out, makin' sure you're okay."

"Fine..."

He planted a kiss on her forehead before heading downstairs.

Krolia curled up on her side, pulling her shirt up just below her chest. Her stomach was swollen. Not necessarily from size, but in all likelihood, from the amount of time she'd been pregnant. The child kicked, just once. "Why are you so energetic...?" She asked her child, gently stroking the underside of her abdomen. "You're already in so much trouble, you know that right? Mama is not pleased."

She watched as her  skin was stretched out by a few kicks before her unborn child settled down again.

"Mama hates you so much...."

The expecting mother pulled her shirt back down over her large stomach. She felt the fabric creep up an inch or two. It didn't quite fit her current physic. Nothing did.

"You just _have_ to take advantage your mama, don't you?"

With a sigh, she rolled on her back, her hands immediately resting on her stomach.

   "Mama hates you so much sometimes...." Krolia shook her head slowly, "No... Mama hates your actions... Not you."

Regardless of what she told her son or daughter, or how many times she threatened their life, there was no way she could ever hate them. Even she knew how much she loved them, and was not afraid to admit it. Nor was she afraid to admit she was only acting in such a way due to a hormonal mood swing.

Krolia undoubtedly loved her child. They weren't born yet, nor were they fully developed, but she already wanted to protect then with her life.

Though she was neither ready to give birth or take on the full responsibilities of being a mother, she desperately wanted to see her child. She wanted to be a mother more than ever. She wants to be able to hold them in her arms, to cradle them when they wake up crying, and to finally be able to look after them. She wants to do all of these things, so much so that even the thought of anything happening that could harm her child made her terrified and sorrowful. Krolia wanted to protect her infant, no matter their species, their gender, or their appearance. She didn't care what her child was, it was hers and she would lay down her own life in a heartbeat if it meant they could live.

   Despite never saying anything like this to Steven, he knew. He knew that she was looking forward to being a mother. He knew that she wanted to keep them safe and happy. But most importantly, he knew that her feelings of love towards the child were real. They weren't just nesting needs or maternal instincts brought on by hormones. These were real. It made him proud. Especially since she's able to look past all of the awful things she's been through since the two found out about the child. Steven too is eager to meet their son or daughter, but not in the same ways as Krolia. While he does already love his child, he sees the situation from a father's perspective. Though similar to that of a mother's, there is a slight difference. One that's more psychological than anything else.

   With just under two months remaining, things can be quite tense. Krolia, however, has dealt with the stress a little better than Steven. Yes, she is in no way looking forward to the painful process of childbirth, the process in which she must push the child out of her womb and out into the world. No one in their right mind would look forward to that, but it's what happens after that keeps her going. Holding the child she’s longed to see for the past few months. That’s enough of a reward to keep her going no matter what life throws her way.

 

 

***

 

 

   Hours went by. Long, boring hours. Krolia had spent each one of those hours in bed either sleeping or chatting with Steven whenever he came in to check on her.

   Around seven or so, she began to grow hungry, and the smell of food being prepared downstairs wasn't helping.

   After a considerable amount of effort, she got to her feet and made her way to the stairwell. She knew Steven wouldn’t be pleased with her decision to move about, but she simply can't sit in bed doing nothing any longer.

   With the sound of footsteps on the stairs, Steven turned his head quickly to find Krolia standing at the bottom of the stairs. "I thought I told ya' to rest..." He muttered, both disappointed and somewhat worried.

   "You did." She replied, taking a seat at the counter. "However, I'm tired of resting. I can't do much activity wise, so I'll be sitting anyway."

   He shook his head, turning back to the stove. "I'm not going to force you to do anything, but I hope ya' feel like you're makin' the right choice."

"Trust me, I've been asleep for a good portion of the day, I'm fine."

There was a silence before Steven asked, "how're the pain levels?"

"For now, there's no pain. But it's nearing seven thirty which, statistically, is his active hour."

"His...?"

"Their!" She hung her head, very much so embarrassed. "I have to stop doing that... What if it's a girl?! I need to stop calling them a he."

Steven chuckled as he grabbed plates an silverware from the cabinets. "You're just now realizing that?"

"It's called a habit, Steven." She argued in a monotone voice. "I've been unable to break it since I first started calling them a boy."

"I feel like this would be solved if we could just know their gender." He thought aloud as he plated their meal, setting it on the dinner table.

"Too bad that's not a possibility..." Krolia sighed, slowly walking to the table to take her seat across from Steven. "Unless you want to take me into town and risk everything."

"Very funny. You're not leaving here until our baby is safe, healthy and old enough to be without you for a long period of time. And even then, you'll have to wait for the rest of the world to be okay with knowing your species exists."

"Don't you think it'll be odd though...?" She asked, beginning to eat her food. "They'll have to pretend like they don't have a mother... No one can know about me. That's assuming they look human enough to even go outside...!"

"We'll figure something out." He reassured her. "And if they do look like a Galra, then we'll be cautious with how we raise them."

Krolia looked unfazed by his answer. It didn't solve their issues, and it wasn't much of a plan either.

"Alright..." Taking her hands in his own, he went on, "Clearly we have some possible problems to come, one of which bein' if they look human or not. Now I know that keepin' them hidden is not a good parenting move, nor is it right... But if it keeps them safe, then that's gotta be somethin', right?"

"Yeah.."

   "I promise I'll do everythin' in my power to give them a normal childhood, no matter if they look Human or Galra. They'll be raised with love no matter what."

   That last statement made her smile. "Promise you won't treat them any differently from how you would treat a human child."

   "The only difference between how I treat our child and any other is that they'll have all of my love. I'll help ya' raise 'em like any other human child would be raised. I will never turn my back on them." He smiled, slowly letting go of her hands, "That's a promise I will never break."

   Krolia took her hands back, resting one of them atop her stomach. "Words cannot express how much that means to me..."

   "You know I meant every word."

   "Yeah... I do know that." Although she stayed relatively calm on the outside, she was filled with emotion on the inside. Krolia always knew Steven was supportive and loving, but hearing him say those words added to her affection for and admiration of him. "I suppose you'd like me to say the same thing...?"

   "No. You don't have to say it back." Steven kept his smile, pointing to her, "you show it in each and every one of your actions."

   "Except when I threaten them."

   "We both know you're not bein' true to your feelin's when ya' say those things."

   "And how do you know?" She argued, a hint of playfulness in her voice.

"Because, you love them more than anything else in the entire universe."

“I’m not even going to try and deny that.” Krolia let a quiet giggle escape her lips as she nodded, agreeing with Steven’s words. “I don’t mean the things I say to them...The way I threaten them. I’m only acting out of feelings and my mood in the moment. They really hurt me sometimes, all of that kicking and moving. It’s so _uncomfortable_...!”

“That might be true,” he said, shrugging his shoulders before continuing on, “but you’re able to look past all of that. Even with everythin’ that’s happened, from the mornin’ sickness to the mood swings. The back pain an’ the false contractions. You still love them just as much, if not, more.”

“If I’m being completely honest, I’m more eager to see them and hold them than I am to be done with all of these awful discomforts and hormones.”

“In other words, you just want to be a mother.”

Krolia nodded, smiling as she did so. “I just want to be a mother. A _real_ one. I’m done with the title of an ‘expecting mother’. I want to be a _mother_ , one with a child of her own to raise. I want to be able to protect my son or daughter.”

“And ya’ will, Krolia. Very soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fell asleep editing this at 9 last night (which is super early for me) so this is almost 24 hours late.  
> Sorry!!!  
> You’ll get a new chapter tomorrow (it’s already written!!)  
> I KNOW this is my story and I know that I know what happens, but the next few chapters are kind of stressful  
> Just a heads up :)  
> But it’s all okay in the end.  
> I mean... eventually Keith has to get here, right?


	11. Two Battles

   "How many times are you gonna fix that bed...?" Steven asked, watching her reorganize the blankets of the crib for the fifth time that day.

   "As many times as it takes. I will not allow this room to be messy or disorganized. It's not fit for a child."

   Steven approached her cautiously, "I think it's fine. There's no dirt or debris. It's spotless and inviting." He placed a hand on her shoulder, "come on. Let's leave it for now."

   "I can't, Steven. It's not ready, not yet." She protested, once again repositioning the tiny lion plush in a different corner of the crib.

   "Krolia, it's fine." He reassured her, slowly pushing the toy back down before she could change its location again. An action he would soon regret.

   In an instant, the hand that had been on the lion moved swiftly upwards. With a strong move of her arm, Krolia had slapped Steven's left cheek, with a loud, painful smacking sound of skin on skin contact. There was malice in her eyes, pure hatred. She looked about ready to hit him again.

   "Krolia!" He grabbed ahold of her wrist, holding his throbbing cheek with the other. "What has gotten into you?!"

   She suddenly stopped struggling, the muscles in her face relaxed to a regretful composure. "Shit!" Krolia placed a hand to her mouth, the reality of her actions came to her at once.  "I am so sorry!" She immediately moved her hand to his cheek to see if Steven was okay. "Stupid hormones! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you! It's my nesting needs. Are you okay?"

   "That's what ya' meant?!" He couldn't believe his ears. "I thought you meant you were easily angered. Verbal fights. Not physically hurting someone."

   "What?! No! I meant physical violence! We've discussed this!"

   Steven rubbed his cheek again and again. "No, we haven't discussed that aspect of your nesting process."

   "Steven... I am so sorry! But you can't get between a nesting Galra mother and their actions. No matter how stupid you think it is." Krolia moved his hand away from his cheek. "I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me..."

   "I'm not... It hurts a lot... But I'm not mad. Disappointed, maybe. But not with you. I can't believe you actually hit me..."

"I know, I know. And I cannot tell you how sorry I am!"

Steven could tell she was stressing out about this. A bad kind of stress. One that normally sent her into a panic. A panic that at 37 weeks could induce labor. "It's alright, Krolia. I'm fine. It was a complete accident."

She threw herself into the arms of her lover. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! It was an accident! And—"

   "I said it's fine." He told her calmly. "I thought you were just stressing... I didn't know you were in your nesting period."

   "I'm so sorry. I know you said it's okay, but I feel so awful."

   "Take a deep breath, Krolia. You're stressin’ yourself out. I'm fine. Really, I am. It's you who I'm worried about."

   She took a deep breath, resting her forehead on Steven's shoulder. "I'm a total mess right now..."

   "I wouldn't say a mess..."

   "I am though... I can't control my actions, my emotions are all out of whack, I'm constantly panicking, and, possibly worst of all, I'm huge. Like fat huge...!"

   Steven shook his head, soothingly rubbing her back. "You're not fat, Krolia. You're 37 weeks into your pregnancy. In my eyes, you're still as beautiful as ever."

   "You're too kind... Far too kind."

   "I'm just a supportive, soon-to-be father who hates to see you sad."

   Krolia smiled, slowly pulling away, "I don't deserve your kindness... How in the world did I get lucky enough to fall in love with you?"

   "You just happened to be in the right place at the right time, right?"

   "Yeah..." those were her words. That was her explanation for all of this. "I guess we both were."

   Steven ran his hands from her shoulders down her arms to her hands, interlocking their fingers. "I am sorry for forgettin’ you had nesting needs. And for makin’ you hit me, but I know what's goin’ on now, and I won't try and stop you."

   "I just don't understand why they're so late... And why they're here at all. We've set up everything completely. We did that weeks ago."

   Steven shrugged. "You're three weeks from the end of term, I wouldn't be surprised if your body is trying to get you in right mindset for the arrival of your child."

   "Our child. He— They are our child."

   "You really want it to be a boy, don't you?"

   She looked away, pouting in defeat. "So what if I do...?"

   "Nothing is wrong with that. Just be sure that you're happy regardless."

   "Why wouldn't I be...?"

   Steven shrugged, "You're a good mother, you'll be happy no matter what. I just know you will."

   Krolia slowly nodded, smiling. Although, it looked forced.

   He let out a sigh, lightly stroking her arm with his hand, "you look sad all of a sudden..."

   "It's nothing. I'm just worrying over something I shouldn't be worried about. You know... The whole birth thing... I have been for a while."

"Oh..." Steven stayed silent for a bit, taking in her confession. "That's new... When did you start worrying?"

Krolia shrugged, "I don't know... I guess it's due to a feeling I've been having recently..."

"Of fear...?"

She shook her head. "Over the past few days, I've been feeling..." she paused, shrugging her shoulders, "tired. Although there's a better word to describe it. I'm not tired per say, but my muscles just feel... I don't know, weak."

"Have ya' been sleeping well...?" Steven quickly asked her. "You've been waking up at ten am or so, which is late for your standards, but during the night, are ya' awake?"

"No. That's the strange part, I've been sleeping well every night, but I just feel tired."

"Maybe you're going to sleep too early...?"

Krolia shook her head, "it's nothing like that. It's more like a symptom, so to speak."

   Steven stayed silent, waiting for her to explain what she was talking about.

   "It happens with all Galra."

"Why didn't you say so?" Steven asked, before adding "Does it mean anythin'...?"

She only nodded, her gaze slowly drifted from Steven to her round stomach.

"Oh..." His voice became quite as he followed her gaze."You're close, aren't you?"

"Yeah... Its a natural process that happens anywhere from one week to one month before the baby is born. I don’t understand how it all works, or why I’m tired during the day if I sleep a lot at night. All I know is that it is meant to prepare the mother with an adequate level of stamina, one enough to get her through labor and help her to recover faster."

"And you're only just now telling me this? Something this important is only just now being brought to my attention?"

"I've had a lot on my mind, Steven!" Her eyes narrowed, she was quickly aggravated by his presumed lack of sympathy. "Not everything can be explained immediately! I didn't know until yesterday, so I'm sorry it's taken me just under twenty four hours to tell you!"

Steven noticed her facial features changed, she looked offended, but she sounded angered . "That's not what I meant, but—"

"Of course it wasn't. When do you ever say what you mean?!” Her words weren’t meant to be harmful. Maybe the tiredness or nesting needs caused her to say what she did, but she didn’t mean any of it. “Promising me you'll be home more often, but your schedule hasn't changed! Telling me you'll get all of the supplies, but we're missing so much! We have no bottles! No formula! No diapers! None of that! How am I supposed to raise a child in a house this unprepared?!" Blinded by her anger, she didn't consciously feel the child forcefully kicking her. Her sudden change of emotion, and drastic increased in heart rate were causing her unborn child to become distressed.

Steven could see there was pain in her eyes, though almost entirely covered with anger. "Krolia please... Calm down..."

"Don't tell me to be calm! You're the one who hasn't stuck to their word! You're the one who refuses to complete the simple task of gathering supplies! We had a deal! I would suffer through this," she motioned to her stomach, "and you would get what we need! But you haven't! Why?!"

"Krolia! You have to take a deep breath! You're goin' to send the baby into a panic, assuming they aren't in one already!"

"You're trying to make this my fault, aren't you?! What is wrong with y—"Krolia instantly cut herself off. She felt a wave of pain rush through her abdomen, one much different from a kick, much stronger too. She staggered forward, completely unprepared for the feeling.

Steven was quick to move. He grabbed ahold of her shoulders and waist, holding her up until she regained her balance. "Are you alright?!"

"No!" Krolia took a deep breath, feeling the pain slowly subside. "What the fuck was that?!"

   "Another false contraction, is what I'd assume."

   Krolia shook her head quickly. "No. That was much worse."

"Could it have been real...?" Steven helped her back to her feet, very slowly letting go. "Why don't ya' sit down for a bit?"

With his guidance, she slumped down into the rocking chair by the window. "Please tell me I'm not going into labor..."

Steven simply shook his head. "I don't know... You could be, but it was so sudden, and nothing else happened..."

"It felt like a real contraction though... At least what I would assume one would feel like."

"You said your species had a similar type of process to that of a human's right? Humans have a telltale sign of their 'water breaking'."

She nodded. "Yeah. Galra have something similar..."

   "So...?"

   Krolia slowly shook her head. "Nothing."

   "Then it can't be a real contraction."

   "Unless it was a precursor."

   "If it was," Steven began, using a reassuring and calming tone, "then we'll just have to be prepared."

 

 

***

 

 

   An entire day had passed and nothing had happened. Krolia had not gone in labor, nor had she felt a contraction of any kind since. She had however, become incredibly fatigued in the last twenty four hours or so.

"How are you holdin' up...?" Steven asked, gently rubbing her upper back.

Krolia, who was leaning against the railing of the porch, propping herself up with her elbows, slowly shrugged. "I feel like I could sleep for a year..."

"Is it just lack of energy...? Or do your muscles feel tired too...?"

"I'm not sure. I'd like to say both, but it might just be all of the extra weight from this child."

He nodded, taking in the information. "Why don't ya' come inside? I can make somethin' for you to eat. It could give you some extra stamina."

"Sure..." pushing herself off of the railing, she followed Steven back inside, sitting at the dining room table.

   Once she was comfortable, Steven turned his back on her, walking into the kitchen to search the cabinets and the refrigerator for food options. "So," he began, peering into the fridge, "what sounds good?"

   No reply.

   "Krolia..." He closed the fridge with a sigh, "I can't make you anythin' if ya' don't—" he cut himself off, seeing her slouched over in her chair, her head resting on the table in front of her. Steven approached her slowly, and it didn't take long for him to realize what was going on. "Rest up..." he whispered, gently kissing her forehead.

Krolia had fallen asleep. Rather quickly too.

"You really weren't kiddin' about needin' to sleep." He said with a light chuckle. Steven thought it'd be best if he didn't wake her, and instead grabbed a blanket from the couch. He draped it around her shoulders before returning to the kitchen to make the two of them some food. If she was asleep now, she'd want something to eat when she wakes up.

 

 

***

 

 

This routine happened quite often. Her fatigue never once left her, and she found herself waking up later and later each morning. If she wasn’t standing up straight, she would begin to feel tired, and it wasn’t long before she’d have to give in to sleep.

Eighteen days remained between now and her due date, and her body never failed to make every hour miserable for her.

Krolia stared blankly at the crib in the nursery. "I don't like it... The way it's oriented. I don't approve."

Steven's jaw dropped. "Krolia, you can't be serious. Redecoratin' is one thing, but moving things around isn't necessary."

"I'm just sayin that I don't like where it is...!" She said defensively. "Does it have to be in the nursery?"

"That is the point of the room. It's for the child to sleep in. That's why we set it up this way."

"I know, but what if we had it in our room?"

"You want me to move it from the nursery, where it belongs, into our room?" He asked, giving her a deadpan stare.

"Mhm."

"Why?"

Krolia shrugged, "I don't know... It's just a feeling I have. A feeling that I can't control. I'd feel much better if they slept in the same room as us."

"But you are aware that this is the nursery, correct?"

"Yes! I know! But it doesn't change the fact that I want them in our room."

"Alright... Fine... I'll move it later today."

   "Thank you..." Krolia smiled before exiting the room, heading downstairs, Steven following right behind her.

   "You haven't rested once today." He commented. "Maybe you should take a nap or get some sleep."

   "Nope. I'm fine."

   That was a total lie. She felt exhausted, but something along the lines of nesting needs prompted her to stay awake.

   "Krolia... You know you can't lie to me..."

   "Okay! I'm tired!" She placed her hands on her hips, displeased with his treatment of the situation at hand. "But I'm not going to rest, and you really shouldn't try to make me."

   "I'm only worried about ya'... If you get too fatigued, you could pass out..."

   "I said I'm fine...!"

   There was no further discussion. Krolia said she was fine, and that is how it would stay.

 

 

***

 

 

   "Is this alright?" Steven asked Krolia after he had moved the crib into their bedroom.

   "Yeah..." she answered tiredly, sitting on the bench by the window. "It's fine..."

   He sighed, turning his head to look at her. "You really should try to get some rest. You look exhausted."

   "I look exhausted, but I'm not exhausted."

   "Please, Krolia. If you ignore your needs much longer, you could pass out."

   Krolia struggled to her feet, a wave of exhaustion rushing over her. The strong kicks from the child within her weren't helping.

   "Are you sure you don't want to rest...?"

   "Yep..." She replied, massaging her stomach with both of her hands, hoping her baby would settle down again. Krolia made it to the door before she stopped dead in her tracks. She felt a large amount of pressure being put on her back from her child. They were stretching out again, but this felt worse. Most likely because of her poor wellbeing at the moment.

   "Krolia...?"

   "Yeah...?" She answered quietly.

   "Is everything alright?"

   "Yeah... I'm fi—" suddenly, she lost her senses of balance, falling against the wall to her right.

   "Krolia!" Steven grabbed ahold of her, catching her just as she would've hit the ground. "Krolia....?!"

   She was unresponsive.

   "Hey...! Krolia, come on, You've got to get up. You can't pass out on me...!"

   Krolia made no effort to respond. She was out cold. After pushing herself to her limit, the slightest imbalance in comfort was enough to tip her over the edge.

   Steven did as his first aid training instructed him to. He picked her up off of the floor, cradling her in his arms before slowly placing her on their bed.

   She looked fine, appearances wise. No blood, no bruising, nothing. That was good. But she had just fainted, and three weeks from her due date nonetheless. That was not a good fact.

   Hours passed. Three stressful hours. Steven hadn't left her side since she had fainted. Occasionally, he would put a hand to her stomach, feeling for movement from their child to make sure they were alright.

   Steven had, at some point, wrapped an arm around her back, letting her lean on him.

   He had grown uses to the silence, that he barely heard her speak.

   "Steven.....?" Krolia blinked multiple times before yawning.

   "You're awake....?!" He tried hiding his joy, doing what he could to act more concerned than anything else.

   "What..." She paused, sitting up and leaning back again the headrests of the bed. "What happened?"

   "You fainted." He answered, looking to her with worry in his eyes. "Are you okay...?"

   "I don't know... You don't think I hurt the baby, do you...?" She asked, regret filling her voice. "I didn't know how tired I was. I'm so sorry. I ignored it for far too long... I didn't mean to—"

   "It's alright, Krolia." He reassured her, gently placing his hand on her stomach, smiling as their child moved in response. "See...? They're alright."

   "But I could've hurt them! I could've lost them. I almost hit the ground. Do you understand what could've happened...?!"

   He nodded, "I know exactly what could've happened. But none of it did. That's all that matters."

   Krolia ran her hand over the top of her large, round stomach. "Please, Steven. Make sure I don't ever do what I did again. I don't know what I'd do if I lost them..."

   "You have my word..."

   There was silence while Krolia leaned against Steven a little more, resting her head on his shoulder. "Do you think it's alright there?" She asked, speaking of the crib.

  "I'm not moving it back, so yes, it's perfect there."

   "Good..." Krolia did sense the sarcasm in his voice, but she overlooked it to keep her mood positive. "I just thought that they'd like it better knowing were in the same room as them. Does that make sense?"

   "I think so..."

   Krolia wrapped her arms around Steven, nuzzling her head into his neck. "They'll be here soon... I can't believe it's already October 5th...!"

   "We're very close, aren't we?"

   She let out an adorable yawn, closing her eyes slowly. "Wake me up for dinner, alright?"

   "You were just out for three hours." Steven pointed out as he withheld laughter.

   "And my body wants me to sleep for three more. I'm listening to those urges."

   "And what about your nesting needs?"

   Krolia hummed, thinking of her answer. "Nonexistent for now, but I bet they'll be back later today."

“Okay.” Steven held back his laughter as he gently pulled her closer to him, soothingly running his hand through her hair.

   Unsurprisingly, Krolia wasn’t wrong. Her desires to make a safe environment for her soon to be born child more or less so ruined their evening. Krolia spent a good ten minutes reorganizing the nursery, and fixing the way the blanket and little lion plush looked on the crib. Steven was supportive, letting her do what she felt was right, but never stopped reminding her to take a break, and to listen to her uncontrollable need to sleep.

After today, with the frequent napping, the nesting, and the fainting, Steven felt prepared for anything. They both did, and nothing could be better than two soon-to-be parents ready for whatever would come their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s 11:53 but I HAD to publish this today.  
> I mean... the date actually matches up!!  
> I didn’t do this on purpose. This was one of the chapters I wrote before hand. What a nice coincidence.  
> Anyway...  
> Thanks for reading. I know nothing really happened in this chapter, but I PROMISE stuff will happen. Especially in the next chapter;)


	12. Downhill From Here

   Krolia had barely been able to keep her eyes open all afternoon. Every ounce of her wanted to follow instincts and take long, frequent naps. She was beginning to grow angered by the constant urge to sleep.   
    The only thing that kept her awake, was the need to eat, and her contradicting 'nesting' needs.  
   As of yesterday, Steven was officially off work for the next four months. He had made a deal with the chief, and thus was able to spend the next three months at home with the love of his life to help her through the last few weeks of her third trimester. And on a more exciting note, he would be home to help with the first month and a half of parenting.   
   "You are allowed to sleep." Steven informed Krolia, kneeling down beside where she was sitting at the kitchen table.   
   Sitting is a rather simplistic way of putting it. She was, in actually, slouching in her chair, leaning over as much as her stomach would allow, with her head and forearms rested on the table.   
   "No..." She mumbled, sounding half asleep already. "I can't. I get to anxious about the set up of our baby's room."  
   Steven nodded slowly, kissing her cheek, "I assure you," he began, "the room is in perfect condition."  
   "You know that won't help. Useless nesting instincts had to come at the worst time!"  
   "I don't think they're useless."  
   "Everything is either useless or absolutely shit for me right now..."  
   "Watch it, Krolia," he warned, "if you start cussing again I'm going to have to give you some sort of punishment."  
   Krolia rolled her eyes, flipping him of, "fuck you, Steven. You know how uncomfortable I am right now."  
   Silence.   
  Utter silence.   
   "I didn't mean to say that..." She apologized. "It slipped out..."  
   "Please tone it down from now on. You know I don't like the idea of you using that language or tone around our kid. Quite frankly I don't like you using it at all."  
   "I know! But I'm really not in the right mindset to tell right from wrong."  
   Steven rubbed her hand soothingly, "I understand... But when you  are in the 'right mindset' please do consider what I've said."  
   "Sure thing." She placed her hands firmly down on the table, preparing her tired muscles to make an attempt to stand up. "I'm going to check on the nursery. It's a much calmer place than the kitchen."   
   After a lot of effort, and a considerable amount of help from Steven, Krolia found her balance on her own two feet. Her weakened strength and very round stomach made a normally simplistic mobility action nearly impossible. Even so, Krolia pushed herself to move about as much as possible without passing out.   
   Of course, Steven stayed right by her side wherever she went. Just a few days earlier, she had ignored her instinctive need to rest for far too long. As a result, she  more or less so collapsed. Thankfully, she had been leaning on Steven at the time, and sustained zero injuries. This lucky turn of events, however, was only more reason as to why Steven followed her around so closely.   
It took the two almost three whole minutes to get up the stairs. Krolia could tell her body wanted her to lie down, to do nothing but sleep and rest.   
   "See," he told her as the two stepped inside the newly finished nursery. "Everything is just how you left it. Clean and organized."  
   Krolia let out a long, exhausted moan, immediately sitting in the rocking chair by the window.   
   Steven crouched down in front of her with a small sigh as he took her hands in his own. "Please, Krolia. Try and sleep. You know it's best for both you and our child."  
   "I don't know if I can..." she admitted, her voice low and quiet. "Every time I drift off to sleep, something in me freaks out about this room being unfinished."  
   "But it's finished. You can see it, can't you?"  
   Krolia only nodded. There was no denying how tired she felt. It didn't matter that she had gotten fourteen hours of sleep last night, nor that she had already had three naps throughout the day. Her instincts and hormones were forcing her to sleep. Energy conservation was her body's way of preparing for the quickly arriving baby. It happened to all Galra, but hit first time mothers much harder than others.   
"Do you want to sleep?"  
Krolia only nodded. She did want to sleep. She also knew she couldn't escape the hormonal urges much longer. Plus, it was much better for her to nap than for her to faint or pass out.   
   "Alright... Here's what we're gonna do..." Steven wrapped his arms around Krolia's back, slowly lifting her out of the chair. "I'm going to stay in here with you, you're going to relax, and sleep." He leaned his back against the wall, letting Krolia lean back on him.   
   "That sounds like a good plan...." She mutter, curling up—as much as she could—in his lap. "But why is this any different from me sleeping anywhere else?"  
"Because I'll be right here with you. That's comforting, right?"  
"Mhm..." Krolia nodded, adjusting her position to one she could sleep in. Once she was reasonably comfortable, she gave in to the instincts she had. Within minutes, she was out. Sleeping like a baby. Her head was rested on her lover's shoulder, both hands resting on her stomach.   
   Occasionally, she would flinch or wince at the feeling of their child moving. Steven, after dealing with these happenings for five months, simply placed a hand on her abdomen, moving it along the round surface as gently as he could until Krolia was relaxed once more.   
   She looked at peace when she slept. No worries or fears to upset her, no needs or feelings to distract her.   
That being said, she only ever felt this at peace when she was curled up next to Steven. The two of them both knew this all to well. 

 

***

 

   Nearly a whole hour went by before she awoke. She still felt a little tired, but considerably less compared to before. She made tiny whimpering noises as she stretched and opened her eyes. Her whimpers were not too dissimilar to a child, which Steven found rather amusing and quite adorable.   
   "How long was I out...?"  
   "Only about an hour." He answered, fixing her bangs so he could see her eyes. "I assume you slept well?"  
   Krolia nodded, "I still feel like I haven't slept in days though..."  
   "If what you told me about your uncontrollable urges to rest are true, then I can see why you'd feel that way."   
   She sighed deeply as she tried to wake herself. "What time is it...?" She asked.   
   "Sometime around one or two pm. Why?"  
   "I'm starving. I can't tell if it's cravings or real hunger. Honestly, I'm too tired to care."  
   Steven nodded, getting to his feet before helping Krolia to hers, holding firmly to her arms until she found her balance. "In that case, we should get you fed. Can't have you going hungry."  
   Krolia leaned almost all of her weight on Steven as he led her downstairs and across the ground floor to the kitchen. It was easier for her this way. When presented with a comfortable place to sit, she refused. "I'd rather stand. It's easier to stay awake that way."  
"Are you sure...? I don't want ya' loosin' your balance or something bad like that."  
She nodded, "I'm sure. Besides, I can talk to you if I'm awake, can't I?"  
   "Having someone to talk to is much less important than your safety." He pointed out. "You gotta promise me that you won't force yourself to stay standin' up if you get tired again. No matter the circumstances. I can't have you collapsing on me like ya' did the other day."  
   "I'll be fine...! Besides, it comes in waves and I'm fine now. I'll even sit down if I have to."  
   Steven said nothing in response. He only gave a nod, giving in to her 'arguments'.   
   Krolia leaned her back against the counter, letting a small sigh escape her lips. "If I'm going to be honest... I'm more than ready to have this kid and be done with these stupid hormones, the discomfort, the awful cravings, all of it. I am done."  
   "You've only got another week and a half. Give or take a few days. I'd suggest you cherish it while you can."  
   "Cherish...?" She gave him a displeased look. "Because I am most certainly going to miss the nausea, the back pain, and the never ending urge to sleep." She counted off the symptoms she had felt since her first month on her fingers, and would have continued, but Steven stopped her.   
"The sleeping is the best thing that's happened. It gets you to rest, something you wouldn't do without your body shutting itself down."  
"You're so rude!" She whined, crossing her arms low across her chest. "I know how to rest. I just... don't always do it..."  
Steven laughed, "you sure do know how to set up an argument." He told her sarcastically.   
"Oh grow up, Steven! You're acting like a child." Krolia tried to sound serious, she wanted to sound serious, but she couldn't hold a straight face, and soon the two were laughing.   
After a few minutes spent laughing, with a few more sly comments from the both of them, the noise died down.   
"About your desire to be done with all of this," Steven began, finally starting to make the two of them some lunch, "are you sure you are?"  
"I think I know my own desires by now."  
"I'm sure of that, but are you really ready? The last time I checked, you were still a little weary about goin' into labor."  
"Yeah... But I'll be fine... I have you." Krolia tried to force a smile, but for some reason she couldn't. She had always been too good at hiding her emotions, but she was unable to do so in this very moment. "I am worried, because... well... we don't know what could happen or how it will all go down... And I'm trying to stay positive, but..." she trailed off, shrugging with defeat. She didn't know what she wanted to say, and she didn't want to act like she did.   
"I understand..." Steven said kindly. "You're not scared, per say, but you are, in some ways, nervous."  
The expecting mother only nodded, signaling he had said what she had been thinking.   
"Yeah, you could say the same for me. Although, I'm worried about both you and the baby. I know you could care less about what happens to yourself, as long as they're okay."  
Krolia scoffed, giving the slightest smile. "You know me all too well."  
   He nodded, grinning slightly. "Is there anythin' I should be aware of?" He asked, grabbing some left over food from the refrigerator. "Any needs?"  
   She shook her head. "No... but... Sometimes, the mother wishes to be alone while in labor. Assuming she goes through with the 'natural' birth. Some would say  it's helpful, and even more productive to go through labor alone, without the father present."  
   "Are you goin' to want that?" Steven questioned, a hint of worry behind his words. "I'll be alright if ya' do."  
   "No. I don't want to be alone. It's too much of a risk. We're alone, without medical aid, and no way to get outside help in any way." She paused before looking to him, her expression was serious, nothing else shone through. "You do realize that you're going to be my birthing coach right?! That you're going to be the only person I can rely on for help and support?!"  
   No reply.   
   The reality of the upcoming situation must have only just now dawned on him.   
   "Steven!" Krolia stared at him, impatiently waiting for a response. "Are you aware of that?!"  
   "Yes... Krolia..." He stuttered. "I am aware of that."  
   "Something will go wrong... I swear something will go wrong. I'm going to lose them. Something terrible is going to happen and there's nothing we can do about it."  
   Without hesitation, Steven pulled her in for a tight hug. "No..! Nothin' will go wrong. You can't think of things like that...!" He gently rubbed her back, trying to calm her. "I won't let anythin' happen. I promise, I'll be right there with you. Through every step of the way."  
   "And if something does happen...?"  
   "It won't...!" He slowly pulled away, leaving his hands resting on her shoulders. "I won't let anythin' happen to either you or the baby."  
   "I'm trying not to worry..." she whined, sighing as she rubbed her stomach. "But these stupid hormones keep messing up my emotions and making everything worse!"  
   "It's fine, Krolia. You're worried, as any expecting mother would be. But you have nothing to fear. I'm going to be right by your side."

 

***

 

By the time Krolia had woken up each day after that, it was almost one in the afternoon. The effects of being just a matter of days from her due date were starting to drag her down. Performance wise, she was doing worse and worse every day. Every muscle in her body was loosing strength, shutting down, trying to get her to sleep.   
On this particular day, just seven days prior to the predicted date on which she would go into labor, things seemed worse than usual. Everything hurt as she forced herself downstairs, immediately lying down on the couch.   
"You seem lively today." Steven joked, sitting next to her so that she could rest her head in his lap.   
"My back is killing me...!" She moaned, stretching out in a last attempt to rid herself of the pain on her spine. "They're doing that awful stretching again. It's making me sick...! And they keep squirming every time I move...!"  
"Do you want the heating pad?"  
She nodded, putting pressure on her lower back with the tips of her fingers. It did nothing, but it was worth a try.   
Steven got to his feet, grabbed the heating pad from the cabinet in the bathroom before returning to the couch. "Is it just your lower back?" He asked her, laying the blanket over her.  
"Yeah..." She breathed out, talking was difficult with all of the pain in her back.   
"Alright..." Steven plugged in the chord, flipping a switch to turn on the heating mechanism.   
"I'm so tired...! But this pain is keeping me from sleeping...!"  
Steven gently lifted her head as he took his seat again, letting her continue to rest her head in his lap. "Well, you're very close to goin' into labor, so the pain makes sense."  
"But it's unnecessary...! Especially the stupid stretching they do!"  
"They're just eager to come out. Just like you're eager to see them."  
"Then why don't they? Just start coming, Little Fetus. It'd be much better than this pain and fatigue."  
"You want them to be born now...? Now as in right now? You want to go into labor now?"  
Krolia groaned, shaking her head. "No..."   
Steven let himself succumb to his emotions, more or less so laughing at Krolia. "You're adorable when you're like this."  
"Stop being so mean...!"  
"I'm sorry," he apologized, still laughing, "but you're completely different when you're dealing with your Mama-Krolia issues than your day to day normalities."  
She raised an eyebrow, "Mama-Krolia...? What is that supposed to mean?!"  
"You're a Mama now. Ya' said so yourself."  
"Please do not ever call me that again."   
"But it's cute."  
"No. It's either Mama or Krolia. Not both. And certainly not as one name.”  
He let out a sigh, giving into her wishes. "Alright, Mama."  
"That's better." She genuinely smiled, please that he called her 'Mama'. It was quite obvious that she was going to be a mother, but hearing him address her in such a way made it all the more real.  
   "It's a little scary that we're a week from your due date." Steven admitted as he stroked her arm. "You're handlin' it better than I am."  
   "I am not...! I'm just far too tired and fat to complain."  
   "For the last time, Krolia, you're not fat. It's called being pregnant and it's very natural."  
   Krolia scoffed, withholding real laughter. "As if anything I've been through is natural."  
"It is, and you know it."  
"For you... None of this is natural for me." She sighed, looking up at him, "I highly doubt I'm the one who's better at handling this whole baby situation."  
   "Alright... Fine. I'll let ya' have this one. I can see you're in a mood."  
   The expecting mother frowned, "I’m not ‘in a mood’, Steven. I’m heavily pregnant and exhausted. My muscles are weak and this child is causing me a lot of pain and discomfort.”  
“I know... But you have to admit, you’re bein’ a bit negative.”  
“Maybe... But I’m within my rights.”  
Steven nodded as he took ahold of her hand, interlocking their fingers. “Of course ya’ are... But tell me the truth... What goes through your mind when ya’ think about how close we are to that day.”  
She thought for a moment, resting a hand on her stomach. “We’re close to seeing them. I’m close to being a mother, and you a father. I like the idea of it.”  
“You really are prepared for this...”  
“I absolutely am not prepared. I’m just looking forward to it.” She gasped a little, caught off guard by one of her child’s kicks. “And I think they are too...” Krolia pushed herself into an upright position and proceeded to lean against Steven. “I’m nowhere near prepared, but I desperately want to be able to hold them in my arms, to take care of them, to officially call myself their mother.”  
“You can say the same about me.” Steven replied softly, planting a kiss on her forehead. “But for now, let’s get through this last week, alright?”  
Krolia nodded, a hint of determination in her eyes.   
There was nothing they could do now. Nothing except wait for their son or daughter to come. It would be a somewhat boring and terribly stressful task, but they’d have to do it. There was no other way around it.   
Krolia spent much of her time asleep, it was, as of now, her favorite part of being so close to delivering her child. When she was asleep, she had no worries, not one. Nor did she feel as uncomfortable as when she was awake. However, her nesting needs kept getting ‘worse’, to the point where she spent all of her time in which she was awake in the nursery. She didn’t reorganize it, nor did she try an clean up the nonexistent mess. Krolia just needed to be in there. Even though they had moved the crib into the adjacent room, the nursery was still the nursery, and it was the most calming place in the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re not chanting for the arrival of baby Keef, then you’re probably reading the wrong fic.   
> I PROMISE baby Keef is soon. You just have to have patience.   
> I have the next three chapters all ready to be published, and all I’m going to say, is that the story does advance.   
> I promise. 
> 
> Again  
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter   
> Thank you for the comments and kudos!


	13. Midnight Arrival

   Something pulled Steven from his subconscious state of sleep. Wether it was something outside like the wind, the sound of footsteps in his room, or the empty space beside him, he was glad he had been woken up. Krolia was not in bed with him, nor was she in their room.   
   It didn't matter what time it was, he tossed the covers from his body and stepped out into the hallway. There was a light on in the room adjacent to theirs. The nursery.   
   He stepped in, cautiously opening the door.   
   "Krolia...?" He said when he stepped inside, finding her sitting in the rocking chair, mindlessly stroking the lion plush. "What are you doing up at a time like this?"  
   She hadn't heard his question, as she was far too engulfed in the soft lion toy in her hands.   
   "Krolia...?"   
   That time, she heard him. "Huh?!" She turned her head quickly, smiling when she saw him standing behind her.   
   "What are you doing?"  
   "I'm just... Looking at the stars."  
   "At a quarter 'till midnight...?"   
   With a sigh, she hung her head, placing the toy in her lap, staring out the window. "I can't sleep. Tomorrow is  _the day_. I don't know if I'm ready for it..." She kept her eyes on the stars, feelings of worry and stress slowly taking over her mind.   
   "What on Earth are you talkin' about? Of course you're ready. You just have to get through it first."  
   "I know... But what if something happens...? What if it all goes wrong?"  
   Steven gently placed her hands in his own and said, "I will not let  _anythin'_ happen to either of you." He proceeded to gently kiss her hand, before slowly kissing her very round stomach.   
   Taking her hands back, she placed them on her stomach, on on top, one underneath. "They certainly seem eager to come out into this world." She commented, feeling them move about and kick inside of her.   
   "And I am eager to finally meet them. Aren't you?"  
   Krolia shrugged, running her hand up and down over her belly. "I am... But I'm also worried about what is going to happen. Plus, I  _am_  Galra, which means that a terribly awful birthing process is yet to come."  
   "How so?" Steven asked her. Though she had already told him the gist of it, he thought it best for her to talk instead of staying silent with her thoughts.   
   "It only lasts an hour or two, but the pain one is said to go through is horrible. Of the few women of my kind I saw as a child, they all opted for medical procedures. Which, obviously, I can't do."  
   "But you're not like them. You're stronger than they are." Steven knew that last statement was probably incorrect, not because Krokia was weak, but because strength can be measured in so many different ways. So, to make up for a poor choice in words, he added, "besides, this child is part human. It won't be as unbearable. I'm sure of it."  
"Again with the guessing..." She giggled softly as her child lightly pushed up on the walls of her uterus with their tiny feet. "Daddy sure does like to make assumptions about you and Mama. Doesn't he?" Krolia wasn't talking to herself, no. She was talking to the child. Every word was spoken in the most motherly, soothing, somewhat high pitched voice she had ever used.   
Steven nodded, admitting that her statement was true. "But your mother knows I'm right."   
"I hate that you're always right..."  
"I'm sure you don't, but I'll let you have this one." He extended his hand to her, smiling kindly. "Here, lets see if we can't get some more sleep before October the twenty-second turns into October the twenty-third."

 

 

***

 

 

   "Run me through the process again..." Steven requested, handing Krolia a glass of water.   
   The two had, after a long discussion, decided not to got back to sleep. Krolia claimed she was neither tired nor able to keep herself calm enough to stay asleep for more than five minutes.   
   "Again...?"  
   He nodded.   
   "When it starts," she began to explain, "there's a rush of pain which doesn't go away until the child is born. Also, like humans, there's some fluid that is released. It's the final warning. The others being the fatigue, which starts early on, and I've already suffered through that. Then you have increasing back pain which comes a few hours before labor starts. And lastly,the stiffening of the muscles in the uterus, that's self explanatory. Those three happen in that order no matter what sort of mixed species the mother is harboring inside of her. Between the start and end of labor, the pain grows almost exponentially. Not to mention, those which you refer to as contractions, make it all that much worse."  
   "And how long did ya' say it typically lasts? Two hours, right?"  
   "Yes. One to two hours. Which is another reason as to why the pain never lessens."  
   "Well, so far, over the past nine months you've shown characteristics of mostly human pregnancies. Nothing too unlike it at least. It's possible you'll go through a longer, less Galran birth." Steven told her in hopes of lightening the mood.  
   "I suppose that's correct..." She mumbled. Her eyes drifted to the clock near the fridge, 12:05  am. "it's officially  _the day_. Due day." She added unenthusiastic jazz hands to show how displeased she was.   
   "Everything is going to be fine. My bet is, you won't start until late afternoon."  
   "No... It'll be soon.  _Very_  soon."  
   Steven felt his own muscles stiffen. "How do you know...?"  
   "For the past few weeks, I've been unable to stay awake except for those random moments of being lively." With a nod from Steven, she continued. "I'm no longer tired. The 'shutting down' of the body, as you call it, is meant to prepare the soon to be mother with enough energy to get her through the incredibly arduous task of childbirth. The need to sleep vanishes prior to the start of labor. Anywhere from one to three hours before."  
   "Sure, but you've only been up for an—"  
   "Two hours." Krolia interjected. "I've been awake for two hours. At least two, maybe a little more..."  
   "So we're just going to wait this out... That's alright with me."  
   "But it's not alright with me! I'm stressing about this!"  
   "You've got nothin' to fear, Krolia" he wrapped his fingers around her hands, gently stroking her fingers . "I'm right here."

 

 

***

 

 

   "Krolia..." Steven's voice was fraught with worry. "Please sit down. You're staggerin' back an' forth. I don't want ya' to fall."  
   "I'm  _fine_ , Steven. Walking clears my head."   
   "You look like you're about to trip over your own two feet."  
   "I said I'm fine! I'm just stressed out. I need my space at the moment."  
   "Your space? Yeah, right." He stood up, approaching her slowly before taking ahold of her hands. "You're pacin' back an' forth, and ya' look like you're about to collapse. The last thing I'm goin' to do is let you have your space."  
"Why don't you get some sleep?" She offered, changing the focus of conversation from her to Steven.   
"Thank you for the offer," he said, "but you'd be a fool to think I would leave your side with ya' this close to goin' into labor."  
   Krolia took a deep breath, slowly exhaling before giving a slight nod. "Alright, fine. You can stay here. But you  _have_ to let me do my thing. I'm trying to keep my stress levels low and sitting down doesn't help."  
   "Why don't we talk...?"  
   "About what?"  
   "Anything." He thought for a second before he went on. "I wouldn't mind discussing names."  
   "No. That's not going to happen."  
   "But they're almost here, don't you think we should—"  
   "No!" She snapped. "I don't want to talk about them right now. I'm trying not to think of pushing a child out of my body right now."  
   He sighed with defeat, "okay... Then what if you talk about the lions again? You're quite knowledgeable on 'em and it's got nothin' to do with givin' birth."  
   "I don't know... I'm not even sure if I want to talk..."  
   "Well you're not staying silent."  
   "Why can't I?!" She challenged, suddenly angered.   
   "Alright. You don't have to talk..." He gave in, sensing her stress levels rise. "But will you at least sit...?"

   The heavily pregnant mother did as she was asked, taking a seat at the table.  
   "I know you don't like being told what to do... But we both know you're a little on edge at the moment, and standin' probably isn't the best thing for ya'."  
   "Steven..."  
   "What is it?" He quickly asked.  
   "It's nothing... I was just wondering... if you could rub my back..."  
   "Absolutely..." Steven pulled a chair up next to her, sat down and began massaging her back.   
   "They feel lower...." she thought out loud, "as in, lower down... putting pressure on my cervix kind of lower..." she moaned, dragging herself to her feet.   
   "And you're going where?"  
   "I have to pee. Really badly."  
   "You only just sat down..."  
   Krolia gave him a deadpan stare. "Yeah? But I have to pee. You're seriously going to tell me I can't go to the bathroom?"  
"Do you want help...?"  
   Krolia shook her head quickly, walking backwards and away from Steven. "Absolutely not. I can use the bathroom just fine on my own."  
   With a nod from Steven, Krolia walked off towards the bathroom. All was more or less so fine. Nothing happened. There were no occasional kicks nor painful stretches from the child. It was, however, quite uncomfortable.   
   After returning, Krolia took her seat at the table once again. "That was  _awful_." She complained, resting her head on the surface in front of her. "Also, they haven't moved in the past ten minutes. I'm taking about actually moving. Not just a tiny kick when I change position. I mean  _real_ movement. This is one of their most active hours."  
   "Well, ya' are just an hour or so away from goin' into labor. It wouldn't surprise me if they stopped movin' altogether."  
   "Stop...! You're stressing me out! My back and pelvis hurt enough. I don't need you adding onto them with  _those_  comments."  
   "You're fine, Krolia. You've got nothin' to stress about. I promise."

 

 

*** 

 

 

_12:35_  
   Still nothing. Not one contraction, nor a Braxton Hicks contraction.   
   The pain in her back had been increasing, and she had frequently gone to the bathroom, both of which were telltale signs of labor.   
   At one point, she had gone to lie down on the couch, hoping to get some sleep. Even just ten minutes, but she never once felt tired. She even tried using the heating pad, but nothing seemed to work. The two concluded that it wasn't a matter of pain levels keeping her from sleeping, it was a matter of hormones and instincts. No matter what she did, she simply could not fall asleep.   
   Another sign of the start of childbirth.   
   Once the fatigue left, the expecting mother would be filled with energy. Until giving birth, which is when personal strength overpowers hormones, the feeling of tiredness was almost none existent.   
   With every passing minute, her back ached more and more, eventually disabling her from moving.   
   She exhaled deeply, leaning back into the massage Steven was giving her. "This is killing my energy levels... Can't I just start...?"  
   "When they're ready, Krolia. When they're ready."  
   "But  _I'm_ ready now. Can't I just—"  
   "No, you cannot start pushing."  
   Krolia slammed her head down on the table, moaning as she rubbed her swollen abdomen. "It's been ages since they kicked! I  _have_  to start soon."  
   "Just be patient, you're not gonna like it if they come too early."  
   "I know..."  
   Steven placed a hand on her abdomen, waiting for a response from the child, but he felt nothing. "That's odd..."  
   "What? The fact that they're still?"  
  "Mhm..."  
   "Yeah... I'm really close. I can feel it... Literally." With a shiver sent down her spine, Krolia forced herself to stand, taking a deep breath as she found her balance. "This better be  _the last_  time I pee. If I have to go one more time after this, I am going to be _so mad_."  
   "You're not already?" Steven asked, following behind her as a precautionary measure.   
   "You make a good point..."  
   This trip to the bathroom was somewhat different from the others that came before it. For starters, she wasn't in as good of a mood, but that was the least of her worries.   
   Krolia felt the pain in her back increase, it seemed nearly three times as worse. The pressure on her cervix also increased as she stood up.   
   She felt a strong kick from her child. The first in a long while. "You're really trying to come out, aren't you...?" She quietly asked her child. "Mama is fine with that... Just do it quickly. This pain isn't very nice."  
   Krolia turned on the tap water, getting ready to wash her hands when a wave of pain surged through her abdomen. "Steven!" She yelled, her right hand immediately went to her stomach, her left, to the countertop for support.   
   He was by her side in a heartbeat. "What's wrong?!"   
   "I think..." She paused, looking at him, there was no hiding her emotions, and Steven saw she was in much more pain than before. "I think I'm close. Really close... Just a few minutes."  
   "Alright. Let's get you seated somewhere."  
   Leaning her weight onto him, she walked back to the kitchen table, sitting down as soon as she could. "I don't think it was a contraction, but it was definitely painful."  
   "I'm not surprised..."  
   Krolia rubbed her stomach, stretching out her back as much as she could without hurting herself. "It should start within the hour..." looking to the clock, seeing that it read 12:45, she sighed, lowering her gaze to her hands and her stomach. "Any minute now..."

 

 

***

 

 

   "What time is it?" Krolia asked, rubbing her stomach with both hand as she paced back and forth.   
   "Almost one am."  
   "No! A real time!"  
   "Twelve fifty-six." He answered, being much more specific. "And why are you on your feet again? I thought ya' said it hurt too much."  
   Krolia shrugged, keeping her hands on her stomach. "It's something to do I guess."  
   "But... Does it hurt?"  
   "A little, but It's not... unbearable."  
   Steven didn't believe her. Not for one second. "Explain..."  
   "I think the waiting is killing my mental preparedness, and upsetting my idea of pain.... I'm not sure how to put it, but one thing is for sure. The anticipation is so nerve racking. I  _know_  it's going to happen, but I don't know _when_. It's like those horror films your people watch. Except I'm the one in the 'scary' house and the killer is childbirth. I'm so nervous...."  
   Steven nodded, wrapping his arms around her from the back. "Just breathe, alright...?"  
   "I'm doing my best...."  
   Krolia felt her child move. A kind of movement that was in no way normal. "They moved... down..."  
   "Down...?"  
   "Yeah, down." She repeated. "They're already putting a lot of pressure on my cervix, but I felt them move this time."  
   "Move as in the normal kicks and position changes?"  
    "No... Move as in I felt their entire body slide downwards."  
   "Oh... So you're  _really_ close now...?"  
   She nodded. "Yeah I'm..." feeling the pain in her back quickly increasing she trailed off. "Okay... That's a new feeling..."   
   "What is?" He asked her, slowly stepping in front of her.   
   "It's like—" Krolia cut herself off, her heart skipped a beat and she stopped breathing for a split second. "Oh no..."   
   "What's wrong?!"  
   She never answered. Less than a second passed before Krolia had doubled over in pain, screaming. She was screaming. Not just moaning or whimpering, she has screamed. The kind of scream you'd hear in the horror movies she had mentioned.   
   One of her hands was tightly gripping her abdomen, while  her other hand was pressed up against the wall next to her. She was doing everything in her power to stay on her feet. She was gasping for air. The pain had completely knocked the wind out of her.   
   "Krolia!" Steven hurriedly helped her to stand up. "It's okay...!" He reassured her, "Just breathe, alright?!"  
   Krolia leaned back against the wall, the pain in her abdomen was enough to make her scream again. "I take it back...! I'm not ready!"  
   "You  _have_ to be ready, Krolia. They're on their way."  
   She shook her head, "Not yet," she panted, taking a deep breath. "My water hasn't broken."  
   "It will soon, why don't ya' sit down until it does?"  
   "I'm fine with standing."  
   Suddenly, she felt another wave of pain, identical to the one just before it. She tried holding in her emotions, trying to act like she was fine, but just ended up crying out in pain. Similarly to how she had before.   
   "Krolia, for the love of God, please sit down!"  
   "No! If I'm going into labor, I'm  _not_  sitting!"  
   "You've felt two contractions. I cant let ya' stand if they're already that bad."   
   They weren't contractions. Not in the way he knew them. They weren't human, but Galran. Much worse.   
   She shook her head, "I'm not sitting until I feel a contraction. One  _after_  my water breaks."  
   Steven wanted to protest. He wanted to say no, to tell her she had to sit down, to make her sit down, but he did none of those. He only nodded and let her do as she felt was necessary. She knew her tolerance levels. All he could do was hope that she'd make the right choice.   
   "And... they're completely still..." she said through gritted teeth. "Absolutely, 100% still. They're not even moving, but they're hurting me so much. The pressure they're exerting on my pelvis and cervix is unbearable!"   
   "I can't even imagine what you're going through right now, but your water  _is_  goin' to break soon, any second now." He told her, trying not to sound too condescending. "And when it does, we'll just have to be prepared."  
   "Yep..."   
   "Just tough it out until it does, okay? We can't do anything until you officially enter labor."  
   Krolia nodded, pushing herself off of the wall, immediately loosing her balance.   
   Steven caught her, holding tightly to her forearms to keep her on her feet.   
   "Sorry... I'm trying not to fall, I really am..."  
   "Is this your new way of coping with pain? Humor? Because it's terrible."  
   Krolia shook her head, trying not too look too amused after hearing his comments. She very slowly orienting herself into an upright position. "No, I just..." with a pulsating pain radiating from her lower back, she trailed off, her jaw dropping. Be it gravity, or timing, but just as Krolia had stood up straight, she felt her pants dampen significantly, the sound of liquid hitting the wooden floor echoed through the silent room. A puddle quickly formed at her feet. There was only one thing it could be.   
   Neither spoke a word. For an entire minute, neither of them made an effort to say anything. They just looked at each other. Steven looked somewhat surprised, but Krolia, for the first time in her life she looked scared. Maybe even terrified. Up until now, she had been fine with everything, but everything up until now had been a precursor, a practice round. But this, this was real.   
   Her water had broken, and the  _real_ contractions would ensue in no time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No number can be used to represent how many times I have rewritten and edited this chapter.  
> I started writing this almost immediately after I published the fourth chapter.  
> I know it leaves you on a cliffhanger, but it wouldn't be fun so squeeze in the next part. The chapter would've been almost 10,000 words long!  
> Too long.
> 
> Continue to leave feedback if you so desire and Kudos!  
> Thank you for reading!  
> ~Picci


	14. A Test Of Strength

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning:  
> *slightly more mature content*  
> *mentions of blood*

   "I... I think that is our signal to begin final preparations for the baby."  
   "And what does  _that_ mean??"   
   Steven shot her a glance, looking down at the small collection of water by Krolia's feet. "I think you know exactly what that means."  
   "No... You can't be serious.."Krolia slowly shook her head from side to side. "Here...? Now...? At two in the morning?"  
"Yep..."   
   "I don't think I'm ready for this.... I don't know what I'm supposed to do, or where I should be, how I should be sitting... I don't even know when to push."  
   "You were fine before," he pointed out, "what happened?"  
   "That was  _before_ my water broke! Before I was in labor! I can't  _actually_ do this!"  
   Steven quickly grabbed ahold of her hands, rubbing her knuckles slowly with his thumbs. "It's gonna be alright, Krolia. You're panicking a bit at the moment though, so I'll need you to try an' calm down, but I promise, everything will be fine." He told her reassuringly. "I'll be right by your side through it all."  
   "Yeah... I'm sorry for panicking.... Thanks for—" she was cut off by an awful surge of pain radiating from her lower back. If it weren't for the wall behind her and Steven immediately holding tightly to her, she would have most definitely lost her balance. The feeling quickly moved to her lower abdomen, causing her to double over, falling into her lover's arms.   
   Even Steven had to admit this was worrying. All of it was worrying. Not just this sudden pain she felt. He did his best to support the sudden extra weight on his hands while still acting as though everything was normal. "Let's get ya' upstairs, alright?" He suggested, doing his best to stay calm under these new circumstances. Remembering what she had said earlier, about the high pail levels caused in the first hour alone, and what had just happened, Steven decided it was best to carry her up to their room instead of risking her safety by letting her walk in her current sleep deprived and terrified condition.   
   "Don't you wanna lie down...?" Steven asked, keeping a gentle hand rested on her back.   
   "No...!" She snapped, placing one hand on the side of the bed to help herself stand. Krolia was tightly gripping her stomach with the other, making a desperate attempt to calm her nerves.   
   This was a completely different feeling to the one she had had for the past nine months or so. Her stomach felt almost solid underneath her hands. The muscles were tightened to provide the best support for her body in this situation. But perhaps the worst part of all, was the complete lack of movement from her child. They were, for the first time in months, absolutely still. The last time she had felt anything from the baby was just moments before the first wave of pain.   
   "You're welcome to sit or lie down. Whichever makes you most comfortable."  
   "I think I'm just going to stand for the time being."  
   Steven nodded, not wanting to force her to do anything. "You'll let me know if anything changes, correct?"   
   "Yeah, of course..." she muttered. It was no secret that she was more than a little uncomfortable. Her face was contorted to show her discomfort and pain.  Not to mention, her quiet, yet frequent, groans and whimpers. Krolia moaned loudly, breathing out slowly.   
   "Is everything alright...?"  
   "No...! Everything hurts...!"   
   With her heavy breathing and almost constant complaining, it wasn't long before Steven was helping her to lie down, and thankfully, she began feeling a tiny bit better after alleviating the stress on her legs.   
   "Krolia..." Steven's voice was fraught with worry as he continued to rub her back. "I will eventually need to get towels, cloths and water for the end of this process."  
   "You're _not_ leave me..." she breathed out, clenching her teeth in pain. "You're not going  _anywhere_ until you absolutely have to."  
   "I'm not waiting until—" Steven cut himself off, deciding against arguing with her. "If that's what you want, then that'll be our plan."  
   A sudden silence fell over the two. Not the best time for a lack of communication.   
   "Shit this hurts...."  
   "Krolia...! I know you're in a lot of pain right now, but  _please_ watch your cursing. I won't allow the first word they hear to be profanity."  
   Krolia groaned, forcing herself to sit up despite the pain it caused her. "I'm really  _not_  in the mood for a pep talk. I'm giving birth and you have the audacity to—" her hand shot off her abdomen, feeling a horrible rush of throbbing pain move through her uterus. She let a low, agonizing cry escape her lips.   
   Steven quickly took ahold of the hand which had been resting on her abdomen. "It's contractions, isn't it?"  
   Krolia barely nodded, the pain slowly faded, until she was left with the uncomfortable pulsing in her back.   
   "You're doin' good so far." He assured her as he began to rub her back again. "Just a few more hours and we'll see our son or daughter. Isn't that exciting?"  
   "Mhm...." Was all she responded with.   
   Steven tried to keep a positive outlook on the situation, but if she was like this within the first fifteen minutes, he didn't want to imagine what it'd be like towards the end of it all.   
   "Steven..." She mumbled, her teeth tightly clenched together. "I don't think I can do this..."  
   "Well, this is a horrible time to decide that. You've felt your first 'real' contraction. There's no going back now."  
   "I know.... But I'm not ready...."  
   "But you are... Just don't think about it too much. Think about the..." he trailed off, trying to find the right words. " The reward... Of seeing them for the first time."   
   "That's the worst advice you have  _ever_ given me." Krolia let out a few whimpers, pulling her knees to her chest, a terrible decision. The pain intensified almost immediately, and she had to stretch them out again. "Why is it so painful....? Nothing is even happening....!"  
   "You're in labor.  _A lot_  is happening. Your body is trying to get the fully developed child out into the world."  
   She shook her head. "That's not what I meant..."   
   "Let's just focus on the positives, alright?" Steven asked, kissing her hand.   
   "Sure..." She quietly agreed, taking a deep breath. "Walk me through the human birthing process again.... Please."  
   With a nod, he began explaining the 'steps' of childbirth for humans as she had asked.   
   Contrary to what one may think, discussing this topic somehow helped to alleviate a small portion of her pain. If not alleviate, it was a distraction. And that was all that mattered. 

 

 

***

 

 

   "Permission to cuss?!" Krolia asked as a contraction began. She had been holding tightly to Steven's hand for the past forty-five minutes. Each time she felt a contraction, she asked for his permission to swear. She always got it.   
"Go ahead..."   
   She felt the contraction meet its max before she let out a low whimper. "Shit...!"   
   "You're alright, it's just a contraction."  
   "No! Not that!" Her hand suddenly went from holding tightly to Steven's hand to her vagina. She felt a warm, thick liquid on the sheets and her crotch. She didn't dare look.  "That's blood isn't it...?"  
   Steven only nodded, pulling her hand back and wiping it on a small towel he had grabbed on their way upstairs. "It's natural, don't worry.   
   "I know it's nothing bad...! But why is there so much?!"  
   "Krolia..." he ran a hand through her hair, rubbing her back soothingly. "There isn't all that much. I promise you it's normal."  
   "So they  _are_ okay, right?!"  
   "Absolutely."

 

 

***

 

 

   Krolia had moved from the bed to a chair, hoping it would have a different affected on her. Sitting up straight certainly felt different, but it did nothing to lower her pain. If anything, it made it slightly worse, but she had found a reasonably comfortable position, and that was the best bit of luck she's had since she woke up.   
   Steven stood next to her, constantly rubbing her back like his life depended on it.   
   The expecting mother let out a long moaning noise as she felt a contraction come and go after some time. She gripped the back of the chair tightly in her hands, doing what she could to turn her mind onto a different sensation, focusing instead on the grip she had on the chair.   
   It was no surprise that her plan backfired. This was childbirth, not a simple cut. There was no distracting oneself from this.   
   "How are ya' holding up?" Steven asked her, continuing to massage her back.   
   Shaking her head, she groaned, "not good... it's been nearly two hours and still...  _nothing_."  
   "Somethin' tells me this'll take more than two hours..."  
   Krolia whined, more or less so slamming her head down on the chair. "This is insane...! I can barely stay sitting up anymore... My body is burning up..."  
   "I don't know what to tell you about the pain levels," he admitted, "but for your body temperature, I do have a solution. It involves me going downstairs though.   
   "Go!" Krolia ordered. "You better be back before another damn contraction comes."  
   Steven nodded, "I'll be right back."  
   She exhaled slowly, resting her head on her hands as she waited impatiently for Steven to return.   
   He hadn't lied, he had come back rather quickly, obviously taking Krolia's order very seriously.   
  "What is this...?" She muttered, eyeing what Steven had brought her.   
   "It's just some ice. It's cold and will lower your body temperature."  
   Krolia slowly nodded, taking some of the ice from the glass, slowly chewing on it.   
   Temperature wise, it worked considerably well. She felt herself cool down for a few second, not a long amount of time, but it was enough to say it worked.   
   Pain wise, it did absolutely nothing.  
   The ice trick lasted for a while. In fact, Krolia had asked Steven to get her some more once she felt too hot again. Steven had tried to tell her that eating too much ice would eventually backfire and stop it from working, but she ordered him to get her some more.   
   Steven obeyed her orders and brought her some more, just two ice cubes this time.   
   Krolia took a on of the pieces of ice and began chewing on it. She inhaled suddenly, choking on the ice in her mouth. She coughed multiple times, her eyes shut tight in reaction to what had happened.   
   "What's wrong?" He asked as he patted her on the back, trying to keep her from chocking.   
  "Another... Awful... contraction...!" She rested her head on the back of her hands, completely out of breath from the contraction and almost choking. The extra pain brought on by the contraction slowly subsided. "I'm done.... I'm quitting...!"  
   "Ya' can't quite, Krolia. You're about halfway there."  
   "I know!"   
   "You're doin' wonderfully well for the first two hours." He told her as he continued rubbing her back. "Just hang in there a little longer, alright?

 

 

***

 

 

   "Breathe...!" Steven sternly reminder her as she felt yet another contraction. This one far worse than its predecessors.   
   Krolia gripped tightly to the headrest of the bed behind her, trying her very best not to scream in pain. In the last twenty minutes, she had felt six contractions, each increasingly worse than the last.  
   For the past three hours, she had been dealing with a constant pulsing pain in her lower back, never ceasing discomfort in her abdomen and a series of contractions, increasing in pain and decreasing in time apart from one another. Not to mention, the sheer pressure the arriving child was putting on her pelvis. That was one of the worst parts.   
   "I don't want to worry you... But this is normally around the time where the mother would prepare herself to..." Steven trailed off, noticing how worried she looked. How  _terrified_ she looked. He swallowed hard, knowing he had to tell her. "They prepare to push. Either by standin', using gravity to get them to the right point, or positioning themselves in some other way."  
   She nodded in response, breathing through the searing pain as best as she could.   
   "This also means that I'll have to help you out, and I don't mean hand holdin'. I'll need you, at some point, to let go of my hand."  
   Very slowly, she loosened her grip on his hand, quickly clutching the sheets beside her as a substitute.   
   "I'm going to get the necessities now." His voice was so calm, he didn't seem even the slightest bit worried. Steven most definitely was close to losing his mind, but knew he had to stay strong for Krolia. She needed him to be there for her. And nothing would stop him. "I'll be just downstairs. Yell if anything happens.  _Especially_ if you feel something comin' out."  
   Krolia weakly nodded, resting her head back against the headrest of the bed, taking frequent shallow breaths in desperate attempts to rid herself of the exponentially worsening pain.   
   "If you feel any contractions, you're welcome to scream, I expect you to. Shout for me  _immediately_ if  _anything_ out of the ordinary happens."  
   "What the hell does that mean...?!"  
   "You can be the judge of that."  
   Krolia moaned, slowly shaking her head, "I'm a fool for thinking I'd be prepared for this."  
   "You just didn't know..." And with that, he kissed his lover on her forehead and hurried downstairs.   
   Steven grabbed a few towels, tossing them onto the stairs before rushing into the hallway cabinet to grab a container to hold warm water in. Once filled, he walked it back to the stairs to place it next to the towels. He did however, almost drop it when he heard an agonizing cry come from upstairs. Steven shook the feeling of abandoning the supplies to comfort her from his mind. He  _had_  to bring these upstairs with him. They weren't in all of the parenting handbooks for no reason.   
   "Keep breathing, Krolia! You're doing great!" He yelled up to her, hoping she'd hear him.   
   "I'm trying!" He faintly heard her holler back. She was getting closer and closer to the end with every passing second.   
   He didn't have much time. Steven hurried to the kitchen, grabbed a clean washcloth from under the sink, and the first aid kit from the bathroom. Once he had everything he needed, he ran back upstairs.   
   He had barely made it to the landing before he heard Krolia scream for him. She didn't just yell for him once, she continuously shouted and called for him, each time, she sounded as though she was in more and more pain. She was suffering through this all by herself.   
   Steven placed the resources he had brought down on the dresser. It was mere seconds before be was at her side again. "I'm  _right_ here." He told her tightly grabbing her hand.   
   "I have to stand...!" She shouted, painfully forcing herself to sit up. Krolia practically yelled as she sat up, her muscles were begging her to stay till.   
   "Whoa, whoa. Take it easy." His voice was, for the first time tonight, worried. He placed a hand on her back to keep her upright. "I'll help ya' stand, but we're going to take it slow, alright?"  
   Krolia nodded, holding tightly to his arms as he helped her up. Her mouth gaped open, feeling an enormous amount of pressure fall on her pelvis and back. She felt the head of her child push down hard on her cervix, it might as well have pushed through. Gravity had its way of speeding up the birthing process.   
   Steven felt her grip around his arms tighten, and he immediately began to lower her back on their bed.   
   Without thinking, she pushed his hands away, recklessly standing up again and walking to the foot of the bed. Walking is an overstatement, she  _staggered_  to the end of the bed before nearly collapsing on the floor.   
   "What in the world are ya' doin'?!"  
   Krolia pulled her legs up to her chest before slowly stretching them out into the proper birthing position. She leaned back on the foot of the bed, exhaling deeply. "I'm giving  birth! What the hell else could I be doing?!"  
   He grabbed a few pillows for her and helped her get comfortable on the wooden floor. "You're absolutely sure you want to do this here?"  
   "Yes...!" She shouted back.   
   "This is your last chance. I'm sure the bed would be much more comf—"  
   "Shut up and trust me, Steven! I know what I'm doing!"  
   "Then I guess you're giving birth on the floor..." he quietly said with a sigh. He knew he couldn't sway her. She had made up her mind.   
   Steven hurriedly put together an arrangement of towels and cushions to make the birthing process more comfortable for her.   
   Krolia shut her eyes and clenched her fists as tightly as she could, feeling another awfully painful contraction pulse through her abdomen.   
   "Just breathe..." he told her calmly, rubbing both her hand and her back.   
   The pain lessened, and and she gasped for air. There wasn't one part of her that wasn't in pain. "I swear I can feel their head sliding out..." she moaned loudly, slamming her head against the wooden surface behind her.   
   "You're doin' well... Just remember to breathe. In and out, 'kay?"  
   Krolia gave the slightest nod.   
   Mere seconds after she nodded, she was crying out in pain, squeezing his hand as tightly as she could.   
   "Alright, That's less than a minute." He explained, kissing her hand gently as he let go. "You're going to have to push now."   
   She said nothing in return, she knew he was right. Her contractions were just over thirty seconds apart.   
   Steven moved to be seated directly in front of her, doing what he could to not focus on the thick, red liquid already covering the towels he had laid out below her. He knew it was normal, he knew why it was there, and he knew he shouldn't worry, but when you're helping to deliver your own child, it's reasonable to worry about something.    
   He was forcefully torn from his thoughts by someone calling his name.   
   "Damn it, Steven!" Krolia shouted between labored breaths. "Help me!"  
   "Sorry!" He took a deep breath, glancing up at her and asking, "Are you ready?"  
   "What kind of shit question is that?! Of course I'm not ready!"   
   With a nod, from Steven, the two fell relatively silent.   
   "How close am I?!" Krolia asked suddenly, feeling the muscles in her uterus tighten up. She bit down hard on her lip, holding in her pain.   
   "Krolia... You're allowed to—"  
   "Status update, Steven! How fucking close am I?!"  
   "Right! Sorry!" He glanced down, looking past all of the the blood as best as he could. "Yeah, you're fully dilated."  
   "I'm  _what_?!"  
   "You're fully—" Steven realized she had no idea what the term meant, and it'd be not only useless, but also a waste of time to tell her now. "You have to push. There's no other option."  
   She nodded, barely able to catch her breath before another wave of pain fell over her abdomen.   
   "Alright... You've got this, I know you can do it."  
   With a deep breath, she gave her first push, the pain in her abdomen became infinitely worse.   
   Three more contractions went by before something caught his eye. "You're doing great!" He told her, "I can see—"  
   Krolia's sudden anguished cries alerted Steven to know that she knew what was happening. She didn't need him to tell her that he could see the head of their child. She could  _feel_ it. She could feel her muscles contracting almost sporadically in an attempt to force the child out. She could feel the horrendous pain in her lower back and abdomen. Not to mention the endless and torturous throbbing in her uterus. But now, she could feel her muscles and skin stretching to accommodate for the child's body. A child who, no matter the species, would  _always_ cause immeasurable amounts of pain.   
   "Do you want me to count down for you?" He suggested to her.   
   "No...!"  
   Minutes passes, and the only words that were spoken were from Steven. Krolia was in far too much pain to think of anything other than pushing as hard as she could. It was her job to give birth. She had to push. There truly was no other option.   
   "Krolia, breath!" Steven ordered, glancing up to her for a split second.   
   She did as she was told, forcing herself to breath. Krolia was exhausted by this point. She couldn't handle much more of the pain.    
   Steven could see she was about ready to give up. Her energy was almost completely depleted. She was tired, scared, and lacking considerable amounts of oxygen. He felt terribly sorry for her, but he knew she had to soldier on. "Come on, Krolia. You're so close!" He told her, a hint of excitement in his voice. "Just one more big push! I promise it'll be all over!"  
   Krolia was only able to express her thoughts in simple noises. She was too out of breath to say anything real. Whimpering in agony, she shook her head.   
   Steven wouldn't take no for an answer. "Please! Krolia! You're just seconds away! You can do this. I know you can."  
   Something inside her forced her to listen to him. Be it natural instinct, maternal instinct, fear, courage, or anything in between. Whatever it was, she forced herself to put aside her own desires for the greater good. In this case, her child.   
   Gripping the towels under her, tighter than she ever had before, she took a deep breath before giving it one last shot. She wanted it to be over. She just wanted to see her child, but without the pain.   
   Her eyes stung with tears.  _Everything_ hurt. Her back, he stomach, her sides, all of it. All signs told her to stop, to give in, to rest. But she knew she couldn't.   
   "There you go!" Steven forced himself to smile, "the head is out! Just a little more. You can do this!" He told her encouragingly.   
   She suddenly stopped, breathing heavily. She could barely open her eyes enough to see Steven.   
   "You're so close, Krolia. I promise. Don't give up."  
Krolia looked to the ceiling, forcing herself to take multiple deep breaths. With one final inhale, she began to push again. Crying out in pain, she used the last of her energy to finishing this four and a half hour long journey.   
   Krolia couldn't help but scream in agony as she gave one final push, hoping this would be the last time she'd  _ever_  feel something like this.   
   Then, all of it went away. Her muscles completely relaxed. The pain vanished.   
   In that instant, another began screaming. No. Not screaming. Crying. A baby's cry. A newborn's cry. Cold and terrified, the newborn infant cried and cried.   
   Steven hurriedly pulled the screaming child into his arms. He got a good look at the child, despite its frantic movements. Small and pale, their face already flushed with red from their cries. A tiny amount of dark, black hair on their small, yet heavy head. They were absolutely beautiful. They were also human. Not Galran. In fact, the only feature about them that was Galran was their DNA. The child's physical appearance was completely human.   
He could barely keep himself from crying, he was overcome with emotion. Despite this, he didn't forget his duties as the only available medical expert here, he cut the umbilical chord and fastened a small clip to the end in order to keep it from becoming infected.   
   At the same time, Krolia had let herself fall back against the bed, barely sitting up. Her heavy breathing signaled exactly how tired she was. "Can I..." She paused, breathing as best she could. "Can I see my child....?"  
   "You still have the placenta to deliver. I'll be right here, but I have to make sure he's healthy before I can help you."  
   Krolia immediately chocked up. "He?"  
   "Yeah. It's a boy."  
   She placed a hand to her lips, but couldn't think of anything to say. It was a  _boy_. She had a  _son_. A _baby boy_.   
   Her excitement was short lived, for she soon felt a resurgence of pain in her abdomen. Much less than before, but it still hurt.   
   Steven talked her through it all as he cleaned and checked their son.   
   Their son.   
   That was a lovely term. One she was already used to.   
   Minutes passed, and she had succeeded in delivering the placenta.   
   "Are you ready?" Steven asked, cradling their son in his arms.   
   The infant continued to cry and shriek. He hadn't stopped since he was born, but that didn't bother either of them. How could it? It was their son.   
   "Yeah..."  
   Slowly and carefully, he placed the newborn in its mother's arms.   
   "Hello..." was all Krolia managed to say before she began crying. "You're finally here....!" She hugged her son close to her chest. It was a gentle cradling, one a mother naturally found.   
   Feeling the heat from her chest, their child quieted their cries to a calmer less traumatized one.   
   "There, there..." she whispered, kissing his small, round head, "Mama is right here. You're safe here. Mama has got you... No harm will come to you... Mama will keep you safe."  
   Steven wiped the corners oh his eyes, placing a gentle hand on the top of their son's head. "He's beautiful, Krolia. He looks so much like you."  
   "He's our son..."   
   "He certainly is." Steven kissed the top of his son's head before he began to clean up the towels around Krolia. This gave the new mother time to be with her son one on one. Something he knew she not only needed, but wanted as well.   
   The infant's cries slowly subsided. His eyes had been sealed shut until now. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Big, dark violet eyes stared up at her.   
   "Hi little one..." Krolia smiled through her tears as best she could, running a gentle hand along his little, chubby arms. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to see you..." She planted a kiss on her son's forehead, continuing to smile more and more. "I promise I will take care of you..." she told the infant. "Mama loves you so much already."  
   Steven couldn't help but smile at how happy Krolia was. When he was seated next to her again, he tilted her head up with his index finger, kissing her lips passionately, yet quickly so as not to distract her from her son. "We're goin' to need a name for 'im" he informed her.   
   "Yeah... We will."  
   With a sudden unknown disturbance in the air, their son began crying again.   
   Krolia looked distraught. What had she done wrong to make him cry?!  
   "Let me take him." Steven suggested, slowly and carefully scooping the crying infant up into his arms. "Let's put that blanket to use, shall we." He set the child down on the soft bed, wrapping him in the orange-red blanket Krolia had chosen specifically for him. "There you are. Isn't that much better...?" He asked their child, knowing full well he wouldn't get a response.   
   The child's cries faded, comforted by being swaddled in a blanket, and soon he was asleep. His tiny hands held up to his face in ittty-bitty fists.   
   Steven read the expression on Krolia's face, knowing she'd want to hold their child again.   
   Once he was back in her arms, Krolia smiled, cradling the sleeping infant in her arms. "We'll name him Yorak."   
   Steven didn't believe what he had heard. Did  she actually suggested Yorak? It was Galran, not human. It wasn't a bad name, if anything it was a perfectly good name, but it wouldn't be a suitable name their son, not here. However, he didn't say anything negative about it. Instead, he offered another name. One more suitable for this planet. "How about Keith?"   
   "Keith...?" Krolia looked to the child, then to Steven, as if clarifying he had indeed suggested the name that he had. "I like that." She said after some consideration, smiling at the child within her arms.   
   "Keith it is then." Steven said proudly, kissing Krolia's cheek and then his son's small tuft of hair.   
   Krolia stroked Keith's little hands, letting his  fingers wrap around her thumb. "Welcome home, Keith."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very proud to present you all with this chapter.  
> it has been a few weeks since I finished the first draft of the, and just finished editing the final version.... I hope you liked it  
> Welcome to the story, Keith!


	15. A Fresh Start

   Three hours had passed since their son had been born. Three hours since Krolia was able to hold him for the first time, to see him, to tell him how much she already loved him. Three hours since they decided on a name. Keith. Short and simple, but both Krolia and Steven loved the name. However, both loved Keith, their son, much more than his name.  
   Steven had spent the last three hours downstairs with their newborn son. He paid close attention to the infant's needs and wants.  
   While he kept Keith relatively happy and quiet, Krolia was able to rest up. After nearly five hours of labor, she was understandably exhausted. She had gotten some much needed sleep, almost three whole hours of it too.  
She was pulled from her sleep by some feeling. Not a physical feeling like a kick or a contraction, not this time. This was more of a psychological feeling. Something told her to wake up, to check on her son, for she believed he was back in her room. Krolia sat up quickly, but stopped before standing. Her muscles were extremely sore, and the tenderness in her abdomen made moving a challenge.  
"Take it slowly." Steven suggested, approaching her from the doorway. He was empty handed, their newborn son was not in his arms.  
"Where's Keith...?!" She asked in a panicked tone.  
Taking a seat next to her, he pointed to the crib just a few feet away. "He's asleep, for now. I figured I'd come up an' check on ya'."  
"I'm fine..." Krolia Answered, her eyes fixed on the crib.  
"You want to see 'im, don't ya'?"  
With a slow nod from Krolia, Steven provided aid as she got to her feet.  
Just as Steven had said, Keith was fast asleep in his crib. His left hand had its short fingers wrapped around the paw of the lion toy.  
Instantly, she smiled, chocking back tears. "He's so little..." she paused, resting her hand on the railing of the crib. "Are you sure he's the right size?"  
"He was a little under weight when I checked him earlier, but he's fine in every other aspect."  
"Under...?"  
Steven nodded, placing his hand over hers. "Yeah, just a little. It was probably the crossing of species, but I assure you, he's fine." He noticed her arms begin the shake as a tear ran down her cheek. "Hey... I said he was alright. You've got nothin' to worry about."  
"It's not that..." she rubbed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "It's that... He's here... He's finally here, after so long. He's my son, and I'm his mother..."  
"So you're happy, right?" He sarcastically asked, pulling her in for a hug.  
"Yeah... Tears of joy." Krolia kept her eyes on her sleeping son, her smile alone was enough to prove how much joy Keith had brought her.  
"I've never seen ya' this emotional about something..."  
"It's not hormones...!" She was quick to defend herself. "This is real. Just as Keith is my son, what I'm feeling now is real."  
The two heard little whimpers coming from the crib, Keith had started fidgeting, and soon he began crying.  
Immediately, Krolia's maternal instincts kicked in. She dried her eyes and carefully scooped her infant son up into her arms. "Shhh.... It's okay. You're alright." She slowly rocked him back and forth in her arms, stroking his tiny arm as she did so. "Mama woke you up, did she?" Krolia cradled him so gently, so lovingly hushing him with a soothing, motherly voice.  
Steven only watched her, not saying a word. He always knew she would be a good mother, but this was beyond what he had expected. She was a natural. Not the kind who has been through it before, she didn't have any experience. She was simply acting out of love. Krolia wasn't trying to stick to the books and follow the 'proper' steps. She was doing what she thought was right because of how much love she had for her son.  
Keith's cries subsided, and soon he was only whimpering.  
"See... You're okay. Mama is right here." She looked to Steven and smiled, "Daddy is too. We're both here."  
Steven, with permission from Krolia, took their son into his arms. "I'm very proud of you, Krolia." He whispered, his eyes fixed on the baby in his arms. "Thank you for bringing him into this world..."  
"Thank you for helping me through it all..."  
   He looked to her, a little surprised to hear her say something like that. "You Don't have to thank me."  
   Krolia continued to smile, knowing full well she wouldn't have gotten through any of the hell she went through without him. They both knew it, but neither would admit it.  
Their moment of bliss was interrupted by the return of the loud cries of their son.  
"I think someone is hungry..." Steven thought aloud, placing the child back in his mother's arms.  
"Huh...? Me...?"  
"Yep. You're his mama. You'll have to learn to feed him."  
"From a bottle?"  
"You know I'm not talking about bottle feedin'."  
Krolia's gaze drifted down to her son, his cheeks were red from his crying. "Oh... You mean that... How do I...?"  
"I thought you'd know..."  
"Guess I better figure it out..." She kissed her son's forehead, silencing him for a split second before taking a seat on the bed. "Alright, Keith... Lets hope you know what you're doing because I certainly do not."  
    "Once ya' feed 'im, you can give 'im to me and I'll show you how to burp him." Steven took a seat next to her smiling down at his newborn son. "It sound strange but it's pretty essential."  
   "Okay..."  
   Keith had stopped crying, only to whimper and whine instead. His tiny arms were fidgeting, he was looking for something to comfort him.  
   As Krolia lifted the infant to her breast, she slipped her thumb under his fingers. Keith immediately curled his fingers around her thumb. That's what he wanted, just something to hold onto. Holding onto his mother's hand was a bonus.  
Some instinct must have kicked in, because their son suddenly stopped fussing and began feeding from his mother's breast milk.  
   "Whoa...." Krolia watched her son wide eyed. She was both amazed and flabbergasted. "That's certainly a not what I expected it'd feel like..."  
   "What did ya' expect it'd be like?"  
   "Not like that..."  
   The child stayed reasonably still in her arms until he had his first real meal of his life.  
   Of course, Steven had fed him a bit here and there between the time he was born and now, but the child was still getting a feel for it all, and even then, he had hardly had much.  
   Once Keith had his share, he relaxed into his mother's arms. Though his eyes were mostly closed, he was very much so awake. He made little noises, not quite baby talk—his brain hadn't obtained that ability— just a few quiet noises.  
   "Alright..." Steven carefully lifted their son from Krolia's arms. "This is the fun part." He held the child close to his chest, very gently patting his back.  
   Krolia let out a tiny giggle as she heard her son make a noise not too dissimilar from a cough, yet still sounding like a tiny burp.  
   "Told ya' it was the best part."  
Taking her son back, she smiled at him as he drifted off to sleep. "Why do you sleep so much?" She asked her child, a loving smile on her face.  
"Your voice gets higher when ya' talk to 'im." Steven commented, chuckling to himself.  
"It... It does...?"  
"Yep."  
Krolia went a light shade of pink, embarrassment spreading through every inch of her body. "Please tell me that's a good thing."  
"It's your mother voice. Of course it's a good thing." He smiled, reassuring her that the voice she uses for her son is in fact normal and perfectly fine to use.  
"I still can't believe how small he is..." she gently stroked the bottom of his tiny feet, quickly pulling her hand back when he began to fuss. "Sorry, Keith...!"  
Keith made it quite clear that his feet were off-limits, showing this by kicking blindly at her hand. He was awake again, upset with his mother for touching his feet.  
   "Someone has ticklish feet." Steven commented. He was obviously tempted to touch his son's tiny feet. If he was in fact ticklish, maybe he would giggle or laugh if they were touched in just the right spot.  
   "Don't you dare...!" Krolia smacked Steven's hand, knowing what he wanted to try. "He doesn't like it...!"  
   "But it'd be so cute if he would giggle or at least smile."  
   "You're going to make him cry, Steven. Don't touch his feet. Please."  
   Despite Keith being only three hours old, Krolia was already very protective of her son. If anything happened to him, she would be beside herself, utterly distraught and emotionally destroyed.  
   "Alright, fine. I'll leave 'is feet alone, but we have got to make 'im smile somehow."  
   "Maybe you should look at him before trying to make a plan..." Krolia quietly suggested, her eyes fixed on her child.  
   Keith, with his short and tiny fingers holding tightly to his mother's thumb, was staring back up at her with his large, beautifully violet eyes, his eyes just were like his mother's . Though subtle and hardly noticeable, he was giving the tiniest of smiles. The infant's mouth was open just enough for them to make adorable noises. With one quiet coo, the child extended their legs before quickly bringing them back up to their chest. Keith was undoubtedly smiling up at his mother. He was happy. Happy to be in her arms, happy to be holding onto her hand, and happy to see her smiling down at him.  
"Someone certainly looks happy." Krolia noted, bringing his hand up to her lips and gently kissing her son's short fingers.  
"I think he's happy because of you..." The doting father commented, his kind eyes looking down at his son. "He's only a few hours old, but he knows how much you love him."  
"Daddy says you know how much Mama loves you..." She stroked his cheek with her pinky, earning a cute glance of curiosity from the boy. "Do you know that?"  
"In a way, I'm sure he does."

 

***

 

In the past two hours, Krolia had stopped holding Keith for only two reasons; to to eat and to use the restroom. If Keith wasn't in his mother's arms, he was in his father's.  
As Krolia readied her arms to hold her child after eating a late breakfast, she watched Steven with a smile. He was a perfect father. He carried Keith so gently and carefully, with so much caution.  
Keith fussed and fidgeted when Steven placed him back into his mother's arms, not liking the sudden change in position.  
"You're okay..." Krolia fixed the blanket that was wrapped loosely around the infant, pulling it over his arms to provide a more cozy environment for him. "Hush... There's nothing to fuss about..."  
Keith immediately grabbed onto her hand, the only thing that seemed to be comforting to him.  
"You like that don't you, little one...?"  
Steven took a seat next to her, gently stroking his son's head, specifically his tiny amount of hair. "He definitely likes holdin’ onto your hands. That's for sure."  
"I like it too..."  
"Of course you like it."  
   "He's just so cute...!" Krolia heard her son making noises, not necessarily fussing, but they were little, baby noises nonetheless. "Yes you are. You are cute." She informed her son, smiling down at him.  
   "I never knew your voice could go that high." Steven teased, holding back laughter.  
   "Oh, hush!" She shot him an angered glance. "I'm not doing it on purpose...!" She looked back down at Keith, giggling as she slowly pulled her hand from underneath his fingers. "You're just so little and adorable." Krolia lightly tapped his nose with her index finger.  
   The somewhat sudden touch to his nose, no matter her intentions or how gentle, was enough to upset the child. He wasn't prepared for the feelings and he couldn't see it coming until it was too late. Scared and startled, Keith started to cry without warning.  
   "Oh no..." Krolia quickly began stroking his tiny hand, hoping she could calm him. "I'm sorry...! Please don't cry...!"  
   Steven slowly took the baby into his arms, giving Krolia a look to tell her it was all okay. "He's fine," he assured her, getting the boy to settle down. "You're alright, Keith."  
   "I've ruined it. He'll never trust me again..." she watched as her son fell quiet, she felt awful. She had scared him, she had made him cry.  
   "Krolia... It's alright. He's fine. Ya' just startled him."  
   "I scared him... This is exactly what I was trying to avoid..."  
   "Then you better fix it." He handed Krolia their son, waiting for her to take action.  
   Within seconds, she was stroking his tiny arm her fingertips. "Mama is sorry, Keith. Mama made a mistake."  
   Keith fidgeted in her arms, whimpering as he felt her hand cover his. Instantly, he gripped her thumb. It was comforting for him, it had been for the past half hour.  
   "There..." Steven placed a calming hand on her shoulder, smiling compassionately. "See. He forgives you."  
   "I'm certainly not touching his nose again."  
"Give him time, he'll get used to it." Steven got to his feet, walking to the kitchen.  
"Where are you going...?"  
He grabbed something from the tabletop and came back. "Forgot this when we moved to the couch." Steven handed it to her, the soft, blue, lion toy.  
"Oh no...! How could we have been so careless...?!" She quickly took the lion plush from Steven, holding it in front of Keith's eyes so he could see it. "Can't have you going places without your lion..."  
The baby quickly extended his arms, reaching out for the lion. There were tiny noises escaping his mouth as he reached for it, his fingers stretched out, ready to take ahold of it.  
"Keith likes three things," Krolia paused, smiling as she glanced to Steven, "you like Daddy, Mama, and," again she paused, handed him the stuffed lion, part of which—a front paw—immediately went into his mouth, "and Little Blue."  
"We should probably get 'im a pacifier."  
"A what?"  
"It's... I don't really know what it is, but babies like them, and it'd be better than Keith chewin'... or more so, suckin' on his toy."  
"Oh... I suppose that would be more sanitary than Little Blue's paw..." She thought for a moment, and nodded. "If you can find one, Keith can have one."

 

***

 

It was approaching seven, the sun had set, Keith was fast asleep in his father's arms, Krolia was taking her turn to eat dinner, and all was peaceful. Their son, already half a day old, had proved to be quite a handful. Especially for Krolia. Though she loved him dearly, she wasn’t prepared for this much responsibility.  
"How exactly does your species care for your children?" Steven asked in curiosity, a question he hadn't had the guts to ask before the child was born.  
"We don't..." Krolia answered confidently, though there was hesitation in her voice. "Children are raised to fight. They aren't 'cared for' and they aren't loved. That's why I'm so worried about failing to provide for Keith."  
"Does your species not feel love...?"  
"We do, but not in the way you know it. To put it simply, mothers aren't allowed to love their children. My..." she paused, wanting to avoid as much detail about her childhood as possible. "My 'parents' certainly didn't love me." Krolia kept her eyes lowered. The word parents had been uttered with so much disgust and hatred. It was clear that she didn't see them the same way most humans saw their parental figures. There was no love nor care for them in her, as there was none ever given to her by them.  
Steven held his tongue, waiting for the correct moment before responding.  
"And I know I love Keith," she continued, her gaze drifting to her son, "and I am glad that I am able to... But for the past ten thousand Earth years, my kind has seen love as a weakness. You're vulnerable to emotions and that's not acceptable in my—”she stopped herself, shaking her head, “in their society."  
"Well, if it makes you feel better, bein' open about your feelings and emotions makes ya' stronger here. It's not a weakness. It proves you're brave enough to open up to someone. Certainly that has to be a silver lining for ya', right?"  
   "I really am getting tired of you always being right..." with a sarcastic sigh to cover up her amusement, Krolia got to her feet and took her dishes to the sink in the kitchen. "You're right about everything." Running the tap water quietly as to not wake the sleeping infant, she began cleaning the mess in the sink.  
   "Not everythin'." Steven slowly and gently stroked his son's hand. "I wasn't prepared for how much either of us would love 'im."  
   The sound of running water disappeared as Krolia turned to face Steven, her eyes full of emotion.  
   "Nor did I think he would be a mama's boy."  
   "Mama's boy...?"  
   "It's more or less so means that the mother has a much better connection with their son than the father."  
   Keith fidgeted in his father's arms, not so quietly whimpering. His face contorted to show his upset, and he let go of his father's hand.  
   Krolia hurried over to her son, taking him up into her arms just as he began crying. "Aw, Keith.... What's wrong?"  
   "Either hes hungry or 'is diaper is full."  
   "No," she walked to the couch and took a seat, "He's definitely hungry." Krolia kissed her son's forehead, calming him for only a few seconds, but that was a enough time for her. "Mama hears you. Mama understands.”  
Steven handed her a small towel in case she wanted some ‘privacy while feeding their son.  
“It’s thoughtful, but I’m fine without it.” She held Keith still while feeding him. Once again, letting his fingers wrap around her thumb.  
“I think you’ve earned mother of the year award.” The admiring father commented. “From midnight until now you’ve only slept for three hours, but you still insist on being his primary care taker.”  
Krolia kept her eyes on her son, she couldn’t help but smile. “Maybe that’s why he’s a mama’s boy...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So glad I can finally focus on the Mama Krolia aspect of her personality.  
> She’s always been a wonderful mother, even before having Keith to hold in her arms, but it’s a different kind of love now. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and continue to leave coments and or kudos  
> I love the feedback  
> ~Picci


	16. Figuring Things Out

The clock read  _3:07_   _am_ , making Keith just shy of 24 hours old. Between seven thirty and now, he had woken up in fits of tears a total of eight times. Only six of those occurred when his new, inexperienced and completely unprepared parents were asleep.   
   Krolia was quick to react to the sounds of Keith's anxious and dismal cries. Hearing them once more at three in the morning was not an annoyance to her. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and tossed the blankets from her body. "Mama has got you..." she whispered, scooping the fussing baby up and into a gentle, loving cradling. "You're okay..." she told him, placing a kiss on his forehead.   
   Keith quieted down for a few moments before his cries escalated to their original, far louder volume.   
   She picked up the lion from where Keith had left it in his crib, took her child into the adjacent room—the nursery—and proceeded to feed him.   
   However, the infant refused her breast milk, something else was bothering him.   
   "Not hungry this time...?"   
   As the child continued to cry and whimper, Krolia brought him to the changing table. She gently placed him on the soft mattress and tapped the mobile in hopes that what Steven had said about them being calming for infants was in fact true. In case it didn't work, she made sure Keith had Little Blue to comfort him.   
   Soft music played quietly, instantly capturing the child's attention. Though not entirely calmed, he wasn't crying as loud as he had been.   
   Krolia placed a cautionary hand over her child's sensitivity eyes as she switched on the light, adjusting the brightness to one fit for a newborn. She carefully undid the tiny, white buttons on his red onesie,  sliding it up just above his hips, where his diaper was. As soon as she exposed the inner lining—and contents— of the diaper to the air, a sickening waft of smells met her nose. She took a step back, taking a breath of fresher air. "You really did a number in there, Keith... That smells awful..."  
   Keith seemed a little happier now that he wasn't forced to lay in his own leavings, and the mobile definitely helped in continuing to keep him calm.   
   Quickly, Krolia tossed the used diaper into the trash bin next to the changing table. It was apparently self sealing and trapped odors in, but it wasn't necessarily designed for an infant's used diapers. Regardless, she would use it as such. Grabbing a sanitary wipe from the shelf below where Keith lay on the mattresses, she began cleaning him, ridding him of the remnants and discomfort caused by using his diaper as many times as he had.   
   As the music faded, Keith began to fuss again, forgetting he had not only his mother, but Little Blue with him.   
   "Shh... You're alright. Mama is right here..." she placed the lion in his hands, stroking his cheeks affectionately. "And look, Little Blue is here too. There's no need to cry."  
   His fussing was muffled by the stuffed lion's paw in his mouth, and he now had his eyes fixed on his mother. Although his vision was next to nonexistent, he could still make out the basics of his surroundings.    
   Krolia instantly felt a pair of eyes on her and beamed with joy when she and Keith made eye contact. "Hey, little one...!" Her tone was, as always, motherly and compassionate. "This must feel better than that stinky diaper. Doesn't it?"  
   Keith only looked at her the same way he had been, curiosity and confusion were in his big, violet eyes.   
   "You're so cute it's distracting." She held back laughter as she returned to her motherly duties. Once a clean diaper was fitted around his little waist, she pulled down his onesie and fastened the buttons to their rightful spot. "There we go... All clean...!"  
   Keith gave the slightest smile, still keeping the plush lion's paw in his mouth.   
   "Yes, it is a good thing. You should smile." Picking him up and immediately wrapped her arms comfortingly around him, she began her tedious, yet necessary, slowly and quiet laps around the room. Krolia talked to him in a calm whisper as she slowly rocked him to sleep.   
   Once his eyes were shut, and his breathing was slowed to a snoozing type, she turned off the light, and brought him back to her room, laying him down in his crib. Covering him with his blanket, she kissed his cheek and headed to her own bed.   
   Steven immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a tight, but comfortable hug. "You gotta stop gettin' up every time..." he muttered, half asleep. "Let his Daddy take care of 'im for once."  
   "You wake up too slowly, and don't hear him as soon as I do..." she countered, interlocking their fingers. "I just have better senses."  
   "Then wake me up. You're goin' to be exhausted if ya' don't sleep."  
   "But Keith needs me to take care of him."  
   "Keith needs both of us." Steven buried his face in her shoulder. "If you don't let me take care of him next time, I'm..."  
   "You're goin to what...?" Krolia scoffed, knowing he had no argument.   
   "Just promise me you'll let me take it from here on out....!"  
   "Fine..."

***

   "Aren't you going to check on him...?" Krolia asked after hearing Keith fussing for a good minute or so.   
   "Yep. He's my responsibility." Steven planted a kiss on the back of her neck before dragging himself out of bed to tend to their son.   
   Krolia yawned loudly, rolling over onto her side, watching Steven interact with Keith. "I am awake if you need anything..."  
   "Thank you for that option, but I can handle him just fine on my own..."  
   Once Steven had taken Keith out of the room, Krolia shut her eyes and turned to face the window. It was light outside already, probably around seven or eight in the morning. Though it was colder outside, the morning sun was warm on her face. Not a bad feeling after a morning of waking up every hour and a half  
   The lack of crying from her son was a calming feeling, one that made her instantly less tense. Not long after Keith fell silent, Steven came back into their room, sitting next to her, still holding the infant in his arms.   
   "I guess he's up for the day then..." Krolia smiled, propping herself up to see her son. "You kept us up  _all night_ , you little stinker...!"   
   "Don't call 'im names. It's not his fault."  
   "I know..." she ran a gentle finger down his arm. "I blame your species. Galra infants aren't nearly as high maintenance. It'd be fair to say I was not prepared for this much of a task."  
"I'd like to say all-human infants are better than this." He shook his head, chuckling as he did so. "I really would like to, but I can't."  
Krolia shook her head, attempting to hid her laughter. "I cannot believe your species is as loving as you say. Doing that every night? It's bound to drive one of us mad."  
"You'd be surprised in how many parents don't take care of their kids simply because of that."  
"Stop...! I don't want to hear it. Keith is very loved and will always be loved."  
"Always...?"  
" _Always_." She narrowed her eyes, emphasizing her point. After receiving a nod from Steven, she got to her feet and took the infant from him. "Come on, let's get something to eat while he's resting."

 

 

***

 

 

   "Alright," opening the fridge, Steven looked at their options. "What does the wonderful alien mother want for her breakfast today?"  
   "First of all, don't call me an alien, second of all,  _eggs_. I haven't had them in almost a year, because  _somebody_ made my stomach overly sensitive." She looked down at her son, his own gaze fixed on nothing in particular. "Don't you think I've forgotten, Keith. A mother never forgets."  
   "You just threatened a newborn child.  _Your_ newborn son."  
   "It was a joke, Steven...! I would never say something so awful to him and mean it..!"  
   "Let me guess, Galran infants understand humor."  
   Krolia scoffed. "Excuse me...?!" She glared at him with displeased and angered eyes. "That's your first warning. Don't you  _dare_  compare  _my boy_  to  _them_. Don't you  _ever_  do that again."  
   "I didn't mean—"  
   "Nope. It's been said. You have your first warning."  
   Steven let out a sigh, nodding in agreement. "How many do I get?"  
   "How many do you— It should be none!"  
   "I just want to know how many times I can do it before ya' punish me." He clearly Wasn't taking this as seriously as she was.   
   There was silence.   
   Total silence.   
   "Please don't snap. At least put Keith down first..."  
   "I'm not going to snap...! I really do hate you  _so_  much sometimes..." Krolia pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head in disappointment. "How many do you get..." as she went through the scenario in her head, she began chuckling to herself, but it quickly turned into laughter. "I can't believe you... I am trying so hard not to put Keith down and slap you."  
   Steven shrugged and walked over to her, extending his hand. "Go ahead, slap me."  
   "What?! No...! Not in front of his eyes."  
   "Darlin'... He's asleep."  
   The mother looked down at he child, "he absolutely is not. He's moving his fingers far too quickly."  
   "Fine. I know ya' don't actually want to hit me. You might want to adjust how you handle your anger and annoyed feelin's though. Especially with him here."  
   Watching Keith curl his tiny fingers around her index finger warmed her heart. "Yeah... I will. It's a... habit I suppose."  
   "You seem to be pretty good at breaking habits and societal norms."   
   "How so...?"  
   "You love me and our son. That's enough evidence, correct."  
   "I don't know about you," she teased, stroking Keith's hand with her thumb, "but Keith, I definitely love him."   
   The soft touch of his mother's thumb pulled his from his half asleep state. His eyes found her hand easily and he searched for her face, smiling when he found what he was looking for.   
   "That's right... Mama loves you. Mama loves you very much."  
   Keith slowly let go of his mother's finger, holding instead the orange blanket around him  
   "I would do anything to give him a normal childhood..." Krolia told Steven softly. "One where he doesn't have to pretend his mother isn't a purple,  _alien being_  from a waring galaxy and violent species."  
   "He won't know any of that..." Steven reassured her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "All he'll know is that you're his mama and that you love him."  
   "That's all he needs to know."  
   The upset whines and short cries of an infant alerted the two of their parental duties. Keith, wether or not he had been asleep or snoozing before was now wide awake. He had oriented himself so that he was more or less so snuggling into his mother's chest. His tiny hands were raised above his h was grabbing at something.   
   "What's wrong, Keith....?" The worried mother asked, taking ahold of her son's tiny hand.   
   He continued to fuss, pulling his hand away from hers.   
   "Maybe he needs a diaper change," Steven suggested, slowly taking the boy from his mother. "I'll change 'im. You just sit and take a minute for yourself, alright?"  
   "Yeah..." Krolia watched him take their son upstairs, his cries never once quieting. She closed her eyes and began rubbing her forehead in circles. "He's fine.... Keith is fine..." She told herself, trying to ignore his cries.  
   Steven returned a minute or two later, Keith was completely red in the face and he was still crying. Though the noise was muffled by the plush paw in his mouth, the sounds were the same as before, distressed and upset.   
   She didn't hesitate to take the child from her lover's arms. "Come on Keith... Help Mama out... What's bothering you?"  
   Again, he leaned into her. The child dropped the toy in his hands, reaching up at his mother.   
   "Keith... I'm sorry, Mama doesn't know what you want..." she looked to Steven, practically begging him to come up with a solution.   
   "I don't know... he's only ever cried like that twice before. Both were for a diaper change..."  
   Something caught Krolia's attention, a feeling, and she looked down at her son.   
   After much effort and many failed attempts, Keith had found what he was blindly reaching for. His short fingers held tightly to the fabric of his mother's shirt and he clumsily tugged on it. He lost his grip, and seemed to have given up, as instead of trying again, he only cried louder.   
   "How could I be so stupid...!" Hurriedly taking a seat on the couch, Krolia pulled gently on her shirt, sliding it down just below her chest. "I am so sorry...!"   
   Keith immediately began to drink the milk he was provided with, his cries quieted to whimpers Until he was completely focused on his food.   
   "Mama is a complete idiot." She kissed his tiny hand, keeping her finger gently wrapped around his wrist and arm. "It won't happen again..."  
   "Don't put all of the blame on yourself, I led you astray and took a hangry child from his mama..."  
   "Yeah... Sure..." Krolia watched her son with apologetic eyes. "Could you bring me Little Blue? I'd like him to have it when he's done." She requested, not taking her eyes off of her son.   
   "Of course." Listening to her request, he picked up the lion, dusted it off and kept it in his hands as he took a seat next to her. "Please don't be to hard on yourself. It's only been a day..."  
   "And I've already fallen behind, or in some way messed up four times. I upset him by touching his feet, scared him when he was only a few hours old. I put his diaper on wrong yesterday evening and just now, I didn't even remember to feed him..."  
   "Krolia, you have to realize that you're new to this. You're allowed to make mistakes."  
   "Not when it comes to taking care of a child..." feeling Keith relax in her arms, she fixed her shirt and brought the child up to her chest, gently patting him on the back until he made a little burp. "I'm supposed to be a mother.... But I'm nothing more than a failure..."  
   "Hey now... That ain't true. That is in no way true. You're a new mother. A lovely, companionate, possibly stressed, definitely sleep deprived, new mother. You carried this boy for ten months. Ya' put up with all of the hormones, cravings, nausea, fatigue, all of it. And you went through the entire birthing process with nothing but back rubs and ice cubes to keep ya' goin'."  
   "But now he's here... And I have to take care of him. I want to, but what if I can't?"  
   "It's no different than what you've been doin' since January. Take care if yourself and listen to his needs."  
   Krolia felt a tug on her hand and looked down to see her son pulling at her fingers. "Sorry, baby..." she lifted her finger, "there you go."  
   Keith quickly held onto her finger, fidgeting in her arms until he was in a comfortable position. He would be asleep again soon.   
   "A failure huh...?" Steven asked in disbelief. "That isn't something just anyone would do. That's a motherly thing."  
   "I only worry that this demeanor of my own won't last forever..."  
   "It will. I know it will."

 

 

***

 

 

   Keith lay on his back on the floor by couch, his orange blanket spread out underneath him.   
   "What if we had a separate bed for him down here?" Krolia thought aloud as she carefully changed him out of his soiled onesie.   
   "And why would we do that?" Steven asked, cleaning the mess in the kitchen.   
   "Because, bringing him between floors is a stupid idea. Why put him down for his nap upstairs if we're down here. He wake up within the hours anyway." The mother began wiping her son with a sanitary wipe. "It doesn't have to be anything special, just something comfortable and safe."  
   Drying his hands with the towel, he left the kitchen and sat on the floor beside her. "Here, let me do that. You've done quite enough for 'im already."  
   "No, no. I've got it." She told him, pushing his hand away. "Just focus on keeping this little guy from crying." Krolia raised her son's feet, but thought twice about kissing them. "He definitely needs a bath. I'm just going to come out an say it, he stinks. Even his feet."  
   "He's not all that—"  
   "I have a better sense of smell than you," she paused, placing a new diaper under her son and wrapping it around his small legs, "I am also the one who feed him the most and," again, she paused, fluffing out a clean onesie, "I don't want smelly baby stench to close to my nose that many times a day."   
   "Alright, point taken." Steven kissed her cheek and got to his feet. "Before we put the lil' guy to bed, 'kay?"  
   Krolia nodded, please with his response. "Sounds good to me."   
   "Why don't ya' let me put this on 'im." He suggested, taking the onesie from her. "Clearly I have to earn your trust or somethin' before you'll let me take over Keith duty."  
   "Well, it's in your hands now. He's all yours." She scooted to sit by Keith's side, giving the boy's father enough space to do what he needs to do.   
   Steven took the long way around dressing the child. He stopped every few seconds to make sure the boy was smiling. Before buttoning up the top part of the infant's clothing, Steven gave one last shot to keep the child smiling. Gently, yet quickly, he tickled the little boy's tummy.   
   Keith didn't react much other than a confused look and a few tiny mumbles.   
   However, this was enough of a reaction for Steven to try again.   
   This time, Keith smiled. He smiled adorably, coos of joy escaping his lips. Not quite laughter, but it was close.   
   "Uh oh." Krolia pretended to be worried as she watched Steven finish his task of dressing the boy. "I think Keith has a ticklish tummy."  
   "And feet." He added, lightly touching the soles of his son's soft feet.   
   Immediately, Keith pulled his feet in, fussing and squirming to avoid letting another hand touch his feet.   
   "Okay, okay. You don't like your feet being touched by anyone. Mama and Daddy won't touch them." Krolia left a soft kiss on the child's forehead as she got to her feet to dispose of the used diaper and dirty wipes. "Steven! Don't you dare!" Even though she had her back turned, she knew his intentions. "He doesn't like it, you have to respect his wishes. Otherwise you're a bad father." Returning to her son's side, she picked him up, letting him rest comfortably in her arms. "If Daddy ever touches you feet, tell me. Mama will deal with him."  
   "I feel like you're not joking..."  
   "Leave his feet alone, and we'll have no problems."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the halfway point...  
> Only a few more chapter before this ends, before the happiness ends...  
> Sorry if that was depressing, but it's the truth.
> 
> BUT  
> There are still 14 chapter left!!


	17. So Far So Good

   Sunday. That meant Steven was out in the morning to buy groceries and other necessities for the week.  
   Krolia was left with at the house with Keith, something she definitely didn't mind.  
   Just under four weeks old, Keith had figured out how to hold his head up. He still needed some help every now and then, but he was close to being a pro. As well as this, he has also learned, or more so taught his parents, the most basic ways for him to communicate. Crying signified he was hungry or uncomfortable in his diaper, cooing and quiet mumbles said he was happy. Of course, some things meant more than one emotion or need, but Keith somehow knew his mother and father who do what they could to keep him happy and content.  
   Krolia sat at the kitchen table folding some of Keith's onesies, shirts, and pants. She despised doing laundry, but handling Keith's clothing was a bit different. She preferred it. Keith's laundry was the only laundry she would do willingly.  
   Keith was fast asleep in his crib. A newer one than the one upstairs, Steven had bought it two weeks ago. He took Krolia's advice and got a second crib for the child, one he could be in while his parents were downstairs. It was nothing special, just a small crib with white railings and tiny, cartoon animals on the headrest. Though it was technically more detailed than his 'real' crib, it was somewhat smaller, not meant for all stages of an infant's age. It was, in all likelihood, going to be too small for him by the age of two or three, but hopefully he wouldn't need it at that point.  
   The crib itself was placed between the couch and the kitchen table. That was the most accessible and equidistant place from everywhere downstairs. Plus, it was a nice location for him to rest, he liked the close proximity to his parents.  
   Every so often, Krolia would turn her head to make sure he was still asleep, and if he wasn't, she would gladly pick him up to give him some much wanted and deserved attention.  
   A small cry came from behind her, and she placed the pice of clothing in her hands down on the tabletop in front of her.  
   Keith had woken up from a nap, being very clear about his feelings for waking up 'alone'.  
   "Okay.... Mama is here." With gentle hands, she brought the child to her chest, swaying back and forth slowly in an attempt to quiet his cries. "Hush... There's no need to cry."  
   The infant instantly leaned his head on his mother's shoulder, pinching a tiny amount of fabric from her shirt between his short fingers.  
"Is little Keith hungry? Or does he just want cuddles?"  
His cries only lessened, he wasn't hungry, nor did he need a diaper change, at least not yet. The child simply wanted to be held, to be hugged, to be loved by his mother. His mother who loved nothing more than to provide him with what he wanted and needed.  
   "You just want some cuddles from Mama, don't you?"  
More than happy to take a break from the housecleaning duties, she took a seat on the couch, leaning back so that she was almost lying down. Propping herself up with a pillow, she loosely held onto her son, letting him lie on top of her, something the both of them liked very much.  
Keith relaxed on her chest, his head resting below her chin, Little Blue in his left hand.  
"Daddy said you're not quite old enough to watch television. I don't think you'd be able to see it, or be interested in it." She ran her fingers over his chubby arms, happiness filling every inch of her body as he smiled at her touch. "Mama doesn't like television anyway. Books and radio broadcasts are better."  
   Letting go of his mother's shirt, he brought his hand to his mouth, sucks on his thumb.  
   "Well, you're not exactly old enough to do anything." She teased, giving a content smile and kissing the top of her son's head. Keith, in tern, smiled at her actions. "You're very adorable, do you know that? Is that how you get everything you ask for...?"  
Slightly adjusting himself to a more comfortable position, Keith fussed quietly atop his mother. He was calm, for now. Being as young as he was, his mood could change at any moment.  
Krolia placed a gentle hand on her son's back, rubbing her thumb up and down his shoulder blades soothingly. "Mama likes giving you attention. Mama loves you, and I know you are aware of that."  
   Keith made no effort to respond in any way. The child wasn't asleep, he was just resting peacefully, still slightly smiling as his mother lovingly rubbed his back.  
   "Alright... You want me to be quiet. Mama will leave you to sleep..."

 

***

 

An hour had passed between when Keith woke up and now. Steven had returned home. The house was silent.  
Not too long ago, Keith had fallen asleep, and stayed asleep, still resting his head on his mother's chest. His mother who had dozed off herself.  
No matter what Krolia said about putting Keith's needs first, she can and will take any opportunity to sleep, this being one of them.  
Seeing Krolia and Keith sleeping on the couch together put a smile on Steven's face. Silently, he began putting away the groceries he had bought. He was almost done when he froze in his tracks at the sound of Keith's tired fussing.  
The tentative mother stroked her son's back, hushing him just enough for the boy to fall back asleep. He wouldn't be out for long, but it was at least another minute or two of calming silence. She was partially awake now, slowly tilting her head back to acknowledge Steven's presence, smiling when they made eye contact.  
   Taking a break from unpacking the food, Steven made his way to the living room. "How was he?" He asked quietly as he kissed his lover's forehead.  
   "Perfect..." she answered in a half awake whisper. "Slept most of the time. Probably because I've been letting him sleep on me since he woke up the first time."  
   "That'll do it. He loves the attention."  
   "He certainly does..."  
   Steven couldn't help but chuckle at Krolia's position. "For someone who's constantly complaining and worrying about being an good enough mother, you're doin' pretty well. You look very happy with Keith laying as he is."  
   "You mean how the two of us are snuggling on the couch?" Krolia nodded, her eyes on her son. "Yeah, he likes it. And I do too."  
   "I know ya' do. But you have to admit, you—"  
Keith began fussing suddenly, putting an abrupt ending to their conversation. Not quite crying, but it was close enough to make his mother take action.  
"Are you done with your nap?" She asked the child, sitting up straight on the couch, supporting his weight with her hands. "Or did Mama and Daddy wake you up?"  
"Let me take 'im for a bit. You've done your part for today." Steven kindly suggested, lifting the boy from his mother's arms and into his own. "I think someone is hungry."  
"Really? I couldn't tell." She joked sarcastically, getting to her feet. "Keith is only ever hungry or has used his diaper one too many times when he does that. That's why he cries. Isn't it, Keith?"  
The infant ignored both of them, continuing to whine and whimper as he waited impatiently for his parents to act upon his emotions.  
"Alright, Daddy hears ya'..." grabbing a small bottle of milk from the fridge, Steven proceeded to feed his son, quieting him down to a more reasonable volume. "That's better... Right?"  
Keith weakly lifted his hands to the bottle, as if claiming it as his own, hoping his father would let him finish without taking it away from him.  
"I found a little somethin' for Keith while I was out." Steven said, looking up from the infant in his arms.  
"Oh? And what what that?" Krolia asked in curiosity as she started to finish the task of putting away the groceries.  
"Nothing special, just found a pacifier after three weeks of you askin' for one."  
"So you did remember to buy one." She hid her pleased attitude by continuing to put away the groceries. "That's good."  
"I was also able to pick up a few extra supplies for 'im. Includin' warmer clothes for the colder, winter season."  
"Really?" That time she sounded intrigued. Nothing could hider her interest this time.  
He nodded, looking to one of the bags. "Check in there. Can't guarantee you'll like it, but it's better than nothing."  
   Krolia abandoned the food, pulling out the few articles of clothing Steven had bought. "They're perfect." She nodded to show her satisfaction and placed the new clothes with his clean laundry. "I think we should put one to use after his bath tonight. Don't you think?"  
   "I don't see why we can't."  
   "They look so warm and fuzzy. I know he'll love them."  
   "Will he?" In Steven's eyes, Keith did not care much about what he wore, as long as it wasn't too big or too small. "Or will you make him like it because you like it?"  
   "Can I say both?"

 

***

 

   "I know, I know...!" Krolia lifted her crying child from his plastic bathtub. "You hate baths. I know. Mama and Daddy are sorry."  
Showing his utter disapproval of his parents' actions in bathing him, Keith didn't make an effort to quiet himself. Even after he was out of the warm water, he kept the same attitude, crying loudly as he did so. His face had gone red from all of his fussing, and his cries were being to sound as though they were hurting him, as though he had some sort of throat infection and desperately needed to cough.  
   Steven held a towel in his arms, wrapping it around the boy as soon as he was out of the water. "We're done. No more bath." He promised, drying off the infant's tiny limbs and body.  
   Keith continued to scream and cry, he hated getting a bath. Only when his father wrapped him in a bundle of the warm and dry towel cloth did he begin to settle down.  
   "The necessary evil, bath time." Steven slowly unwrapped the towel around his son, putting a clean diaper on the boy as soon as he could.  
   Krolia emptied the water into the sink and shrugged, taking a seat next to Steven again. "At least he didn't poo this time."  
   "Good point. That was awful."  
   The mother let out a soft giggle. "Keith, please don't ever do that again."  
"He is most definitely not listening t you right now." Steven pointed out, keeping the infant from crying any more than he already was by soothingly stroking the boy's arms.  
"I am aware that Keith is not in the mood for listening right now." Krolia fluffed out a clean pajama styled shirt for Keith, one that Steven had bought that day. "Now," she paused, smiling at the boy in front of her, "who wants to try on their new pjs...?!"  
If it weren't for his mother's excitement, Keith wouldn't have reacted at all, but if she was that happy, he just had to look and see for himself to know what was making her so joyous.  
"Works every time..." Steven withheld laughter, amused by the fact that no matter what time of day it was, if Krolia made her voice sound that excited, Keith always looked to see what was going on.  
After unbuttoning the the tiny white buttons on the shirt, Krolia slowly and carefully slid her son's arms into the long and fuzzy sleeves. "So far, I think he likes it."  
The pajamas themselves were well fitting for the child, and Keith enjoyed the coziness of the shirt and pants. However, the stockings that were added were not to his liking. Keith quickly started whimpering, pulling his feet in towards his body in hopes of removing the socks.  
"They're just socks, Keith." His father told him, smiling lovingly at the boy. "They keep your feet nice and warm."  
No matter what Steven said, Keith had made up his mind. The socks had to go. After a few moments of whimpering and whining, Keith figured out that if he rubbed his feet together, he could remove the soft prison around his feet, and with lots of effort, he got the first one off.  
"Nope, socks go on your feet." Krolia said, unknowingly using her high pitched voice. As she began putting the sock back on, Keith made a last minute attempt to stop her.  
Keith pulled his foot back and began crying, showing how much he disliked having anything on his feet.  
"No socks?" Krolia asked, pulling the second one off of the boy's feet.  
Instantly, Keith quieted down, hoping the socks would stay off.  
"Okay. No socks it is, then." The mother placed the two socks beside her and scooped the child up into her arms. "You're very picky about your feet, aren't you?"  
Steven nodded in agreement with Krolia's statement, the boy wanted his feet left alone, never to be touched. "He just has sensitive soles. If anything I bet you're just ticklish," pausing for a moment, Steven tried to prove his statement correct, but Keith quickly pulled his feet in. "Of course you're like your mother... You won't admit to it, so ya' hide it instead of acceptin' it."  
   Krolia shot him a displeased glare. "I'm right here, in front of you. I can hear you loud and clear."  
   "I was only jokin'."  
   Rolling her eyes, Krolia was very much so tempted to argue with him, to more or less so put him in his place.  
   The infant, though glad to be in his mother's arms, wanted more attention from both of them. He did his best to make cute little noises and smile as adorably as he could to get their attention. Unsurprisingly, it worked. Like a cat who meows for food, Keith had figured out exactly how to get his mother and father to focus on him. It wasn't a real thought process, but he had put the two together, as well as many other things. Fuss for a diaper change, cry for milk, look adorable for attention, whimpering also got him the attention he wanted.  
   "Don't worry, Mama and Daddy didn't forget about you." Krolia focused her attention on the infant, showing a loving smile. "Daddy is just being a bully."  
   Keith didn't understand her words, he didn't understand any of what was ever said to him. He had a basic understanding of his own name, and it was used almost constantly when they talked to him. Mama and Dady also had some meaning, but hardly any since their use changed constantly. He did, however, earn some form of praise if he responded to the word 'Keith', and thus, responded to it despite not understanding it entirely.  
   He was smart for his age, but still a complete idiot when it came to anything other than basic communication. He understood three things, and only three things; how to get what he wanted, that Keith was something that had to do with him, and that both the orange blanket and Little Blue were his.  
   A few minutes went by, and Keith had grown tired, enough to, hopefully, fall asleep for a few hours. With a tiny yawn, he made the slightest whimpering, signaling he was ready to go to his bed.  
   Krolia checked his diaper once more before putting him to bed. She cradled the boy gently in her arms, taking his blanket and his stuffed toy with her upstairs  
   By the time he was in his crib, snuggled under his blanket, the boy was fast asleep, his hands rested in weak fists by his head. With his new pacifier in his mouth, Keith seemed not only calm, but alright with sleeping in a different room than his parents were in. He was still in his parents bedroom, but neither Krolia nor Steven were going to bed any time soon.  
   "Sleep well, little one..." kissing her son's cheek, she placed the lion toy next to him and pulled the blanket up to his chest. "Mama and Daddy are just downstairs if you need anything at all..."  
   Turning the lights off, Krolia made her way back downstairs, taking a seat on the couch next to Steven.  
   "I take it he fell asleep...?"  
   "Yeah, almost immediately too." She stretched out on the couch, laying her head in Steven's lap. "He won't be out for that long, but we have a good hour or so."  
   "That's plenty of time. We could watch a movie or something fun like that."  
   Krolia shrugged, "sure. I don't care much for movies, but it's better than nothing."  
   "You just don't appreciate Earth culture."  
   "I do too." She argued, "I just don't like your source of entertainment."  
   "That's kind of the same thing."  
   She simply shrugged, taking a few minutes to respond. "I wouldn't mind watching a movie, but I'd prefer to read, or learn more, about parenting."  
   Steven quickly grabbed the remote for their tv. "I'm makin' an executive decision. You're watchin' a movie."  
   "But parenting is important..."  
   "And ya' can't learn how to do it from a book." He told her. "It's an experience. I'll keep ya' on track, but you're doin' wonderfully already."  
"There's always room for improvement." She added, somewhat optimistically.  
"Of course, but for your first month, no, our first month, I think we're quite exceptional parents."  
Krolia nodded, giving a relaxed sigh, "I can't argue with that, and I think Keith would agree with us. At least I hope he would."  
Steven simply shrugged. "Keith seems like the type that wouldn't admit to that. Even if he could talk."  
"Speaking Of talking!" Sitting up, straight, Krolia looked much more interested in the conversation and sounded much more lively too. "When is he going to learn to talk?"  
"Learn to talk?" The man scoffed, showing an amused and dumbfounded smile. "Krolia, Darlin', he has to learn to sit up before he can talk. Human children don't say their first words until they're at least a year, give or take a month or two. He won't be properly communicatin' until this time next year."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for skipping a day.  
> I had lots to do academics wise  
> I won’t update again until Tuesday (October 23rd) because of how long these are taking to write  
> Thanks for bearing with this sudden change  
> ~Picci


	18. Vowels

  Keith lay on his back, sucking on the ear of his stuffed lion. Both of his hands were clasped tightly, yet still weakly, around the mane of the toy. His gaze was fixed on his mother who was finishing up a much needed diaper change.   
   "That must feel  _much_  better, doesn't it?" She asked her son, smiling down at him. "Next time, let Mama know sooner. It's not good for you to be sitting around in that for hours."  
   The infant stretched out his short legs, closing his eyes as he whined quietly. He quickly pulled his legs back in, towards his chest, opening his eyes to find his mother in his line of sight once again.  
   "I'll take that as you agreeing with Mama."   
He smiled, following his mother's movements with his eyes.   
Keith was ten weeks old as of three days ago, making him two and a half months of age. For the last few weeks, Steven had been going to work, leaving Krolia to tend to their son. She didn't mind at all. Every moment she spent with Keith made both her and the boy so very happy.   
   She loved her son dearly and would do anything to spend time with him. Before Keith was born, Krolia had made a promise to give him all of her love. Nothing would stop her from doing so. It was the easiest thing for her to do, she loved her son with every inch of her body and would always love him. Only a few weeks have gone by since his birth, but she already loves him as though she has known him for years.   
   In the weeks since Keith was born, his physical and mental capabilities have advanced, not much, but enough for him to have the most basic of motor functions, as well as ways of analyzing, an in some cases, interpreting, his surroundings.   
   His eyesight was much better now than it was at birth, but he only ever focused on his parents or his bottle. Nothing else. As well as his sight, his muscles had also improved. His palmer grasp reflexes remained the same, holding onto anything in his hand almost instantly. This was normal for a child of his age. A human child. That's what most of his improvements followed. The human norm. Unless someone did a DNA test, they wouldn't know the boy was part Galra. Let alone only half human.   
   "According to human development, you should start vocalizing soon. Isn't that fun?"   
   Keith gave an even cuter smile, making tiny coos as he stared happily at Krolia.   
   "I don't see how anyone could dislike their children." She stroked her son's arm, giggling as his eyes followed her hand. "You're so precious. You're a perfect little boy." Krolia carefully raised her child into her arms and laid down on her back. Letting Keith rest on her chest, she placed a precautionary hand on his back.   
   Her son instantly propped himself up with his elbows, something he was new to, but enjoyed doing very much.   
   "You're my little Keith, Mama's little boy."  
   The boy slowly lowered himself with shaking arms. He had reached his maximum time for sitting up like that.   
   "You're getting better at that every time. You're learning and growing so quickly..." she placed another hand on the back of his neck, gently rubbing his head. Of what hair was on his head, it was soft like silk, so was the rest of him. Krolia made sure to keep the child's skin soft and clean, and used the best, most highly recommend products. At least that's what Steven said they were.   
   She liked giving him 'hands on' attention, and there was no denying that he too liked the affection.   
   Keith tilted his head up, looking into his mother's eyes with curiosity and joy. He opened his mouth as if to yawn, but instead made a strange sound. One like he was fussing, but a very different mouth shape and much calmer facial features.   
   The mother watched him silently, keeping herself from jumping to conclusions.   
   A few more times, Keith made the same noise, a cross between a yawn and a whimper.   
   "I don't know what you're doing, Keith, but it's super cute."  
   The boy took a break from making his noises, again, propping himself up with his elbows, this time, with his mother's help.   
   Once she was sure he was balanced, she loosened her touch on his arms. "You may proceed with your noise making."  
   Keith kept his eyes on his mother as he tried once more to make the sound. With much effort, he made a small noise, one different from before. "Aaahhh...!"  
   Krolia instantly focused on the boy. "What was that?"  
   He hit his mark. He did it. Keith had achieved his goal. "Aaaaahhh...!" Copying his previous sound, he vocalized his second of many vowel sounds.  
   "Look at you...! Learning your basic sounds all by yourself...!" She praised her son profusely, showing her excitement in her facial expression and voice. "Good job, Keith. You're learning so well! And without Mama's help too."  
   The infant smiled, repeating the noise a few more times, much quieter, but loud and clear enough for praise.   
   "You remember how to do that for when Daddy gets home, alright?"  
   Keith smiled adorably, cooing at his mother's excitement as he relaxed his arms, lying down in a prone position atop her chest. He loved when she smiled, and when his father did too. It made Keith happy to see them happy, because if they were happy, then things had to be okay. And if things were okay, Keith could rest easy and not fret about an unknown incident.   
   "Daddy will be proud of your achievements today. Don't forget how to do it."  
   Her words meant nothing to him, but he felt the need to vocalize again. "Aaaahhhaaaahh...!"   
   "Yep. That's the noise." Gently rubbing the back of his hand, Krolia let out a calm sigh, not only proud of her son's development, but in love with it too. He wasn't just an infant. He was her two and a half month old son who could hold his head up without support, sit up on his elbows from a face down position, as well as move from his tummy to his back all by himself. Such small milestone they were, but such huge steps forward for not only the boy, but his parents as well. All of this meant so much to them... Keith meant so much to them. 

 

 

***

 

 

   Krolia held her son close to her chest as she fed him, muttering calming and loving words to her child.   
   Keith, though his attention was fixed on getting enough milk to satisfy his hunger, had his fingers wrapped around his mother's index finger.   
   "Daddy should be home soon..." She told him in a soft whisper. "He'll have missed you while he was at the station, so get ready for multiple cuddles and kisses."  
   Keith seemed hardly interested in her words, but he was listening. He was always listening. Although, a much larger portion of his mind  _was_  focused on his mother's breastmilk and not her words, but that's understandable.   
   "I don't think I could ever leave you for more than an hour," she admitted, "I can barely stand being away from you for a few minutes. I'd worry far too much about your well being."   
   The child relaxed into her arms, finished with his meal.   
   Smiling, Krolia lifted her son to her shoulder, gently patting his back until she heard him make a small burping sound.   
   Keith yawned, stretching out his arms as much as he could before reverting to his typical infant position of having his legs and arms held close to his body.   
   "Let's see if you can't sleep for a bit before Daddy gets home, how does that sound?" Krolia carefully laid the boy in his crib and puled the blanket over his arms. "Get some rest, Keith..." she instructed quietly, handing him his lion plush and placing his pacifier in his mouth. Both of which he liked sleeping with.   
   Watching his mother with sleepy eyes, Keith wrapped his fingers around the lion's paw, slowly but surely drifting off to sleep.

 

 

***

 

 

   Over the next thirty minutes, Krolia relaxed on the couch with a laptop from the shed. She felt better checking the systems of the BlueLion from the same building as the one Keith was in. She didn't want to bring him to the shed, as that would cause her to have to bring 'baby supplies' with her, and she certainly didn't want to leave him alone in the house with no one to look after him. If he was a little older, maybe. But not now.   
   The systems checked out, nothing was wrong with the lion nor the scanners. That was always a good sign.   
   Closing the laptop, she placed it on the table in front of the couch and sighed. Taking care of Keith all day  _was_  an honor, but it was also exhausting.   
   Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard the door open, and she sat right up.   
   "Hey...!" Steven kept his voice low, seeing that Keith wasn't in his mother's arms, inferring that the boy was asleep. "Everything go okay today?"  
   "Yep. You won't believe what he did today."   
   "Oh really?" Steven hung his coat on the hanger and removed his shoes. "What did little Keith do this time?"  
   "It's not a surprise if I just tell you..."  
   Placing a kiss on her forehead, the loving father went to check on his son. "He looks so peaceful when he sleeps..." he observed, his eyes full of pride. "I take it you're somewhat tired after takin' care of him all by yourself."  
   Krolia didn't hesitate to answer truthfully. "A bit... I'll probably just go to bed a little earlier."  
   "No, go upstairs and take a nap." He instructed, motioning to the staircase. "You look exhausted."  
   "Are you sure? I don't want to dump the parenting on you after a day at the station."  
   "You're up all night, every night. I can look after Keith for a little while by myself."  
   Slowly, she nodded. "Alright... Come get me if I'm not awake in an hour or two."  
   Steven waited until Krolia was upstairs before slowly lifting the child into his arms.   
   Keith snuggled into his father's chest, feeling the warmth from his body. Despite not opening his eyes, he knew who was holding him by their smell and touch. Feeling his father's finger meet the palm of his hand, Keith clasped his fingers around it instantly. Partially awake now, Keith began sucking on his pacifier, a calming action that often kept him from crying.   
   "Daddy missed you... Were you good for your Mama?"  
   The infant slowly opened his eyes, suddenly beginning to fuss. His noises were muffled by the pacifier in his mouth, but his volume was slowly escalating.  
   "Shh...." Steven gently pat the baby's back, soothing his cries. "You're okay... Daddy's here..."  
   Scrunching up his face to show his dissatisfaction with the current situation, Keith started crying. He let go of his father's hand, waving his short arms around in choppy motions.   
   "Alright, alright... You want a diaper change, don't ya'...?" Steven laid a blanket down for the boy, resting him down on it carefully.   
   Once his diaper was removed, he quieted his cries to sad whimpers, eyes fixed on his father.   
   "It wasn't that bad, Keith..." the man said with a sigh, using a sanitary wipe to clean the baby's bottom. "I think that was a bit of an overreaction."  
   Keith outstretched his arms, reaching for his father. He wanted to be held again, cuddled and kissed. He wanted attention from his father.   
   "Just a second, Keith. You still need a clean diaper."  
   He continued his whimpering, extending his hands out to his father.   
   "You're not goin' to let Daddy do his job without fussin' are ya'?" Steven chuckled to himself as he finished putting a new diaper on his son. "There ya' go..." cradling the boy in his arms, Steven let his child wrap their fingers around his thumb. "See. You're okay. Daddy has got you." Gently kissing Keith's forehead, he smiled as the boy giggled softly. "If it's attention you want, I'm more than happy to give it to ya'."

 

 

***

 

 

   Coming out of the bedroom after a much deserved nap, Krolia heard strange chatter coming from downstairs. She found Steven lying on the floor, propping himself up by his elbows, Keith doing the same as his father.   
   "You never said he started talkin'." Steven told her, keeping his eyes on the child.   
   "Talking....? As in words...?!"  
   "No, vocalizin'. Vowels and all."  
   "Oh... Yeah. That was the surprise."  
   "Aaaaahhhhaaaaahhh!" Keith vocalized loudly, grabbing his parents attention easily.   
   "Is that so?" Steven pretended as though he could understand his son, knowing that his communication skills would improve much faster if he was talked to after making noise.  
   The child lowered himself to the floor, accidentally rolling onto his back. "Aaa—" her looked to his parents for help, not wanting to put in the effort to turn onto his stomach.   
   "Uh oh...! Did you fall on your back?"Krolia faked her worry, helping Keith to his side, hoping he'd do the rest by himself. "Go on. You can do this."  
   Shifting his weight to the ground, Keith rolled back onto his tummy, looking up at his parents and smiling.   
   "There you go! Look at how good you're getting at that." Krolia made sure to show Keith just how proud she was of his actions.   
   "How long has he been making those noises?" Steven asked, pushing himself off of the ground and into a sitting position.   
   "A few hours." She answered, pulling Keith into her arms. "He's got pretty good since I last heard him do it."  
   Steven stroked the boy's head, "He's made quite a few different sounds too. A's and e's. Maybe a few o's or u's. You said he's only been doing this for a few hours?"  
   "Yeah... Why?"  
   "Normally it takes weeks for them learn and combine their vowels."  
   Krolia genntly rubbed her son's hand, smiling at the boy in her arms. "Guess he's smart, just like his Daddy."  
   "Like his Mama. Not his Daddy."  
   "Aaa... Aah... Aaaahh...!" Keith reached for his mother's face, grabbing at her chin.   
   "Yeah? I know. You want Mama to pay attention to you. Don't you?" She nodded, "alright. You have Mama's full attention now."  
   "He's such a mama's boy." Steven joked, holding back laughter. "Such an attention hogging, mama's boy."  
   "And that's a wonderful thing. Isn't it, Keith?"   
   "Aaahhh!" The infant cooed and smiled with delight. He had both his mother's and his father's attention, and he loved it. "Eeeaaahhh!"   
   "You're so talkative..." Steven couldn't help but smile at his son's speech practice. "You are your mother's son. I would expect no less from you."  
   Keith smiled, slowly placing his thumb in his mouth, instantly sucking on it.   
   "And he's done talkin'."   
   Nodding, Krolia sighed contently. "Yep. He'll probably be asleep any second now."  
   The child kept his eyes on his parents. He continued to smile, happily sucking on his thumb.   
   "I think the Galra in him might not be so bad..." Steven suggested the idea cautiously.   
   "How so...?" The mother asked, wiping a tiny amount of drool from her son's cheek, grimacing at its off putting texture.   
   "Well. He's developin' faster than a human would. And he's learning a lot faster too. I'd estimate he'll even start talkin' and walkin' sooner than we expect."  
   "But how is that a good thing...? What if it's rushing his development?"  
   "True... But... No human has ever had alien blood in them before. Keith seems completely human, but maybe he'll just pick up new skills faster than others."  
   Krolia shook her head. "It makes him sound like an outcast. Like he doesn't belong with the other kids. And that's not what I want for my son."  
   "He's not an outcast. If anythin', this quote un quote heightened intellect and skill would help him succeed in life."  
   "And that... Is that a good thing?" With a nod from Steven, she felt herself relax. "Then I guess I have nothing to worry about. Right Keith?"  
   Keith tilted his head up to get a better look at his mother. "Uuuaaahh...!"   
   Krolia couldn't stop herself. She started giggling, both amused and disappointed in her son's decision. "Take your thumb out of your mouth if you're going to talk, silly. Mama can't understand you if you have your hands in your mouth."  
   The child giggled, repeating the same noise in response to his mother's chatter.   
   "And so it begins..."  
   "And so what begins?"  
   Steven sighed, unsurprised by her confusion. "I just meant that you and Keith would start 'talking' to each other. It's cute."  
   "It's not talking unless it's words. I'd call it communicating."  
   "That's technically the same thing..."  
   Shrugging, Krolia fixed her attention on her son. "Sure, but... Point is, Keith learned how to make vowel sounds, and that's all that matters."  
   "Aaahhh..." reaching up towards his mother, Keith flexed his fingers until she took ahold of his hands. "Aahh..." he smiled with joy, the warmth of her hand was so comforting. He loved how she would loosely hold his hand and forearm as his fingers wrapped around her thumb.   
   "Yes you did...! You taught yourself to use your vowel sounds...!" Krolia kissed her son's hand, smiling with pure joy as he giggled and smiled right back at her.   
   "He loves you so much..."  
   "I know... And I love him with all of my heart..."  
   Keith made an assortment of noises, sounds and coos, babbling to himself and to his parents. He knew that making this newer sound prompted praise, cuddles and attention. So he continued to make those noises until he grew sleepy. Tiring himself out with his noise making, the infant curled up in his mother's arms, resting his head close to her chest. He slowly stopped sucking on his thumb, letting himself succumb to his feelings, and drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back on schedule now!  
> I was writing all weekend, and successfully wrote three chapters!!  
> It is my record, that's about a chapter a day, which for me, is becoming increasingly more difficult.  
> But anyway  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter   
> -  
> -  
> !!HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEITH!!  
> I'm in the middle of drawing, writing and editing just for this special day.   
> So glad I was able to upload this on Oct. 23!


	19. A Mother’s Voice

   Keith woke up crying, and loudly too. It was the middle of the night, but he had woken up nonetheless. As a result, Krolia and Steven were both pulled from their sleep.   
   "Do you want me to get him...?" Steven asked, half asleep.  
   Krolia shook her head. "I'll take care of him..." blinking the sleep from her eyes, she lifted the child into her arms, picking up the small lion toy as well. "Shhh... You're okay. Mama is right here..."  
   Keith continued crying as his mother carried him into the nursery, he was uncomfortable and upset. He wanted his mother to fix the problem and fix it fast.   
   Placing him down on the changing table, she carefully removed his diaper. "You really did a number in there this time, Keith..." Krolia desperately wanted to plug her nose, the stench from her son's diaper was so strong. "Thanks for making Mama do this at four in the morning."  
   The boy looked to his mother, crying until she took off his diaper, and slowly began to bring the noise down to whimpers, making little hiccups from crying so much.   
   She tossed the diaper into the trash and began cleaning him with a sanitary wipe. "Promise Mama you'll fall asleep right after this..."  
   Keith held tightly to his lion, sucking on the toy's ear.   
   "Keith... that's so gross... Why do you do that?"  
The boy gave a tiny smile, the toy still in his mouth.   
"Alright... Lets get you into something clean... Then we'll get back to sleep, okay?"  
She spent the next few minutes changing her son's clothing. Krolia scooped him up into her arms, kissed his forehead and brought him back to his crib.   
Just as she moved back to her bed, Keith left out a tiny whimper.   
"Leave 'im, Krolia. He'll calm down in a few seconds..."  
Krolia slowly took a seat on the bed, just about to lie down when a lonely cry reached her ears. "He's not 'calming down'..." she said with a sigh, getting up and picking her son up again. "What's wrong, Keith? I just changed you, clothes and diaper... And I fed you less than an hour ago..."  
   "I'll take him if you want me to." Steven suggested.   
   "No, no... I'm already up... He just wants some cuddles anyway." Taking Keith back into the nursery, she began pacing back and forth, slowly, in the moonlight. "I can't believe you're already three months old...." she admitted, gently stroking the back of his head.   
   Unlike other human children his age, Keith enjoyed being held upright in his parents' arms. He wrapped his fingers around her shirt sleeve for comfort, resting his head on her shoulder.   
   "You do realize what time it is, don't you, Keith?"   
"Aaahhh...." tilting his head up slightly, he fixed his gaze on his mother.   
"Mama isn't mad.... But it is very early."  
   "Aaahh... aaahh...!" The boy vocalized again, sounding slightly worried. By the way his mother had spoken, he felt as though she was upset with him, her change in tone suggested a different kind of emotion, one he did not like one bit.   
   "It's okay..." she kissed his forehead, letting him know all was well in the world. "Mama likes giving cuddles anyway..."   
Keith leaned on his mother's shoulder, mumbling random noises to himself.   
"Well... unlike you, Mama does get tired." She kissed his forehead again, earning a happy giggle from her son. "Let's see if we can't get you to sleep soon..."  
Eyes fixed on his mother, the child let out a tiny whimper.  
"You're okay. There's no need to cry. You're right here in my arms. Mama has got you."  
As she walked around the nursery, she held Keith close to her chest, hoping he would fall asleep soon. But after nearly ten minutes of walking and whispering, the boy was still very much so awake.   
"What is it going to take for you to fall asleep? I've fed you, changed you, cuddled you profusely... How are you not asleep?"  
"Eeeeaaaahhh...!" With a happy giggle, Keith signaled that he wasn't going to fall asleep any time soon. Especially not if she continued this tactic of whispering.   
"Mama is out of options... If I play with you, you'll be more awake, and if I talk to you, I keep you from sleeping..." she sighed, looking down at the child in her arms, hoping he would provide some help.   
"Aaaahhhh....."   
"Keith, you can't talk either. If both of us talk, then we're just keeping ourselves awake."  
Keith began whining. He was tired, and he wanted to sleep, but he also desperately wanted attention from his mom.   
"I know, I know. I'm thinking..."  
Whether it was timing or just desperate need for something to put her son to sleep, an idea came to her.   
Krolia had never done this before. Not once in her life had she ever sung. Not to herself nor to anyone else. She didn't even know if she could, but if the mobile helped calm an infant, maybe a lullaby from her would do the same. Only one problem, she didn't know any lullabies. She knew of some songs from Earth, but they aren't lullabies per say.   
   Of the few songs she knew, not one of them were meant for children. It wasn't as if the lyrics were inappropriate, they just simply were not meant to be sung to an infant as a lullaby.   
   After thinking for a few minutes, she decided on one she knew well. Not perfectly, but she knew enough of the lyrics for it to work.   
Taking a deep breath, Krolia began humming the tune softly to her son.   
Immediately, Keith went silent, mesmerized by the noise he heard.   
"You like that...?"  
"Aahh...."  
"Okay..." Krolia smiled, continuing her slow laps around the nursery. After another minute or two of humming, she worked up to courage to use the actual lyrics of the song.   
The infant in her arms listened in silence, processing the sounds she was making, instantly loving her singing.   
"The other night, dear.... As I lay sleeping..." she began quietly, "I dreamed I held you in my arms... But when I woke dear, I was mistaken... So I hung my head and I cried..."  
   Keith was silent and still. He had never heard his mother sing, but he already loved it. A smile appeared on his lips, and he rested hi head on her shoulder, already feeling himself become tired. With every note, the child grew even more sleepy. He knew not of what she was singing, but it was so calming that he was being put to sleep solely by her voice.   
   "You are my sunshine... My only sunshine," Krolia continued, just as quietly as before. Only this time, she sounded more confident. "You make me happy, when skies are grey... You'll never know dear, how much I love you... Please don't take my sunshine away..."  
   The room went silent, until Keith vocalized. "Aahh..." he was quiet, almost whispering. His mother had stopped, but he wanted to hear more. He wanted to hear the rest, if there was more, and if not, he wanted her to repeat it all. Krolia may have finished the first two versus, but in Keith's eyes, she was far from done.   
   "You want more...?" The mother asked her child.   
   "Ah."  
   "Okay... Let's see if Mama can remember the rest..."  
   Keith grew a little impatient, fussing as he awaited the rest of his mother's singing.   
   "I'll always love you... And make you happy." Krolia went on with what she knew, calming her son the second she started singing again. "If you will only say the same... But if you leave me to love another, you'll regret it all someday."  
   With a few more versus of the song, Keith grew sleepy, enough to close his eyes and drift off to sleep. His grip on her shirt had weakened, and his breathing was slow and calm.   
   "Mama loves you, Keith..." Krolia said in a soft, loving tone. She was quiet and cautious not to make any sudden movements or noises as she laid him down in his bed before moving to her own. She pulled the covers over her body and settled down into the mattress.   
   Steven wrapped an arm around her waist, glad to have her back in bed with him. "I never knew you could sing..."  
   "Neither did I. I'm not even that good." She admitted quietly. "But Keith likes it, and that's all that matter."  
   "No... You sounded wonderful. Although, I would've chosen a different song. That one is a little depressin' for an infant." He let out a small chuckle, resting his chin on her shoulder.   
   "Thanks for the heads up..."  
   "You're welcome, Darlin'."

 

***

 

   "You're sure you're goin' to be alright takin' care of him by yourself?" Steven asked as he put on his jacket.   
   "Yes. I'm sure." Krolia looked to the infant in her arms, "won't we? You're going to spend the whole day with Mama. Isn't that exciting?!"  
   Keith started giggling, smiling to mirror her joy.   
   "See. We're fine."  
   "It's just..." he paused, looking at her with a regretful gaze. "You were up all night. And I won't be back until at least eight. Seven at the earliest."  
   "I know... But I'll be fine. I promise."  
   Steven sighed, knowing neither of them could change the plans set for today. He had to take this shift if he wanted to take days off after his three month absence. And he had no choice but to have Krolia watch Keith for twelve hours by herself. "Alright... But you leave the parenting responsibilities to me as soon as I get home. It's only fair."  
   "You have my word."  
Giving his son a gentle hug, and Krolia, a kiss, Steven left the house for work.   
Turning her head to face the infant at her side, Krolia instantly smiled. "What are you and I going to do today?"  
Keith kept his eyes on the door, whimpering and whining.   
"What's wrong...? Do you miss Daddy already...?"  
Burying his face in his mother's shoulder, he began crying.   
It didn't matter how many times his father had left for work before now. It didn't matter if his father only left the house for a split second. What did matter, however was that his father was gone. He wasn't with them. Whether he went to work or stepped outside for just a few minutes, it still made the boy cry. He hated whenever his father or mother would leave the house. He hated when they would leave his side.   
"It's okay... He'll be back. Daddy has to go to work. You know this."  
Keith only continued to cry, holding tightly to his mother for comfort.   
"Shh... Don't cry... Mama is still here. You're not alone." Taking a seat on the couch, she laid the child on his back, instantly trying to make him smile. "Keith...! Look...!" Krolia covered her eyes with her hands, waiting a split second before pulling her hands away, making enthusiastic noises in hopes of cheering up the child.   
Confused, but interested by her actions, Keith brought down the volume of his cries, reverting to whimpering instead of crying.   
She repeated the gesture, covering her eyes, uncovering them and saying nonsense. All to make the boy smile.   
He didn't understand what she was doing, but something made him enjoy it. A tiny smile appeared on his lips, and he had almost stoped crying completely.   
"There you go. That's much better than crying, isn't it?"  
"Uuuaaahhh...." Something about what his mother did made him happy. It could have been her voice, her excitement, or the hand gestures themselves, but something made him happy.   
"I told you you'd be fine."  
Keith reached out for his mother. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to cuddle him, to talk to him, or to do more of those playful actions like what she had done with her hands. Regardless, he wanted something to keep him happy.   
"You're such a needy baby...! Yes you are...!" Krolia tapped her son's nose gently, causing him to giggle and smile. "Always asking for attention...!" She picked him up, hugging him instantly. "Well it's a good thing Mama wants nothing more than to make you happy."  
This is what he wanted. This is what he always wanted. Attention. His fingers curled around her shirt and he rested his head on her shoulder. He was happy.   
Krolia laid back, letting Keith rest on her chest. "Mama will always give you cuddles. Even at four in the morning after you've made me change a very stinky diaper."  
Keith pushed himself up off her chest, holding his head up as best as he could. "Aaahh... Aaahhh...!"   
"Yep. Even after changing your very stinky diaper."  
The incidents of that morning came to her suddenly. She began looking back on what had happened, not in a regretful or embarrassed way, she was simply looking back on her success. Krolia had found a new way to calm her son, and that was amazing, but something about it made her hesitant to want to try it again.   
There are real lullabies. Ones made for infants. She felt the need to learn them and teach them to herself. If she wanted to be a good mother, she would have to learn as many tactics as possible. And seeing as Keith enjoyed her singing, learning real lullabies felt right to her.   
After putting Keith down for a short nap, she pulled up a browser page on a laptop— the one that was supposed to be used for intelligence gathering only— and searched for lullabies. It was odd looking for these, as most human mothers would know these, especially after having their child for three months. However, Krolia wasn't a human parent. She knew that. And told herself that it was okay to not know these. That it was fine to have to look on the internet to find lullabies.   
Unsurprisingly, she found a lot. The hard part would be figuring out which ones she preferred, but that couldn't be all that hard. 

 

***

 

   Nearly thirteen hours have gone by since Steven left for work. The clock read eight thirty two.   
   Keith had been fed just a few minutes ago, and Krolia was in the process of changing his diaper one last time before putting him to bed.   
   "You look so grumpy." She said with a laugh, removing the dirty diaper from the child. "Why are you making that face?"  
   Keith said nothing, he only watched his mother in silence. His face was contorted, and he looked annoyed, but not even he knew why he looked that way.   
   "You need to learn when to and when not to make certain facial expressions, Keith." She told him, rubbing his cheek softly.   
   His expression relaxed, and he loosened the muscles in his face. "Aahhaaaahhh!"  
   Krolia let out a quiet giggle as she cleaned and checked her son. "You're so unpredictable. One minute you look like you want to hit me, the next, you're babbling about who knows what."  
   "Uuuaaah!"  
   "Yep. Just like that."  
Keith waited patiently for his mother to finish changing him into a clean diaper and a fresh onesie. Occasionally, he would babble or make a few unintelligible noises, but for the most part, he was rather quiet.   
"Now... lets see if we can't get you to fall asleep, shall we?"  
"Aaah...!" He reached out to her, smiling with joy when she picked him up. Resting his head on her shoulder, he let out a tiny yawn. Keith was ready to fall asleep.   
Krolia knew that if she just put him in his crib and said goodnight, he would just cry and scream until he was held again. Just because Keith was tired, didn't mean he would fall asleep on his own. The boy needed attention. He needed to he hugged and loved in order to fall asleep.   
Suddenly, the child began fussing. He was easily agitated at this time of night. He was tired, and wanted to sleep, but he was, for some unknown reason, unable to fall asleep without the help of his parents' love and attention. "Aaaahhaaaah!" Looking to his mother for help, Keith withheld tears as he impatiently waited for her to do something to fix his tiredness.   
"Okay, okay. Mama hears you." Krolia kissed the top of his head, holding him close to her as she began pacing back and forth from the door to the back wall of the nursery. "How about another lullaby?" She asked quietly, "Mama spent all day learning new ones just for you."  
"Uuaaahhhaaahh....!" He didn't know what she had said, but he felt the need to talk back to her, somewhat adding to the 'conversation'.   
"I'll take that as a yes..."  
   Just as she had done that morning, she began by humming the tune, solidifying the notes in her memory before singing the lyrics.  
In that time, however, Keith had started whimpering. He would have been much louder, and even had cried if it weren’t for her humming.  
“Baby mine, don't you cry... Baby mine, dry your eyes...” Every word was sung with so much love an compassion. Though her voice was low, as to better calm her son, each note was clear and perfectly executed. “Rest your head close to my heart... Never to part... Baby of mine...”  
Something about this particular song had a different effect on the boy. He felt, in a way, more loved. Maybe it was just the way in which his mother was holding him so gently and close to her, but he not only felt safe but also for the first time he had a basic understanding of what Love truly was. Although, he was far to young to understand it, but this moment was filled with more care and warmth than any other that came before.   
“Little one, when you play, don’t you mind what they say...” Krolia continued, stroking her son’s back ever so slightly as she slowly walked up and down the room. “Let those eyes sparkle and shine... Never a tear... Baby of mine...”  
With a yawn, the baby rested his head comfortably on her shoulder, letting his eyes close slowly.   
“From your head to your toes... You're so sweet, goodness knows, you are so precious to me... Cute as can be  
Baby of mine”  
And with that, Keith was asleep, snuggled into a cozy position in his mother’s arms.  
“Sweet dreams, little one...” Krolia kissed his head before slowly laying him down in his crib. “Mama loves you more than anything else in the world...”  
Keith had subconsciously started sucking on his thumb as he slept, his other hand gripping the mane of his lion loosely. He was calm and happy. His mother’s singing had put him to sleep, and nothing in the world was more important to Keith than hearing her voice. He loved hearing her sing and hearing her talk. He loved her voice, his mother’s voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this cute or angst?  
> I cant tell...  
> I had so much fun writing this! I got to look up lyrics of songs I haven’t heard in years! Songs my own mother used to sing to me.   
> Wow... that was so long ago...  
> I honestly just hope that canon Krolia also sang her lil keef to sleep.   
> I don’t care if she’s tone deaf, as long as she tried.   
> That would make my day.


	20. Problem Solving

"Hey... Steven....!" Krolia called out from the nursery, hoping Steven would hear her call.

A very faint "yeah?" came from their bedroom.

"Could you come here....?!"

Her question was accompanied with an infant's cries. Keith's cries.

Steven entered the nursery in seconds. "What's wrong?!"

"I... I don't know." She sounded worried. "He's not feeding... He's trying... I think... But..."

"Wait.... He's not feeding? Or you're not producing any milk?"

Krolia shook her head, "I don't know..." Her gaze was fixed on the crying child in her arms. "Shh... You're okay. Mama and Daddy just need to figure something out..."

"Right... So... What's wrong?"

For only a second, she took her eyes off of the boy. "I said I don't know! For some reason he's not getting anything!" Her violet eyes were fraught with worry and anxiety. "I've been here, with him, for almost ten minutes, and he hasn't swallowed anything! Not one ounce! I don't even know why!"

"Okay... Calm down... We'll figure this out..." Steven cautiously took the infant into his arms. "Let's get him one of his bottles from the fridge..." He kept his calm composure, knowing Krolia needed him to be calm.

Very slowly, Krolia nodded, following Steven to the kitchen. "I just.... I don't know what could be wrong..." Her eyes widened as she gasped, her mind filling with even more worry. "He's not sick, is he?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, alright?"

"Yeah, of course..."

Keith had started to hiccup from all of his crying. He was hungry and he wanted milk, but he hadn't gotten any. His cries escalated to shrieks and screams. Though he would be fine without his milk, Keith did not know this. If he asked to be fed, he was always fed. So why bot now? The lack of milk at his accessibility, scared the child, only forcing him to cry more and more.

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry. We're both very sorry." Steven took a bottle from the fridge, quickly handing it to his son.

Instantly, Keith grasped the bottle, holding tightly to it, drinking the contents like it was his last meal.

"Well... The issue isn't him..."

Krolia placed a hand to her mouth, "you mean..."

"For some reason he wasn't able to get milk from you..."

"This is bad... This is very bad..."

"It's not the end of the world... We can use the formula packs. They do the same for the child as breastfeeding."

"I know but—" Krolia cut herself off, noticing her child squirming in his father's arms.

"He's alright, Krolia...." Steven promised quietly. "He's finished is all..."

Eventually, things calmed down between the three of them. Keith was able to get his milk, and Steven and Krolia were able to rest easy, knowing they found their problem.

Steven placed Keith down in his crib, covering him with his orange-red blanket. Just as he was about to get settled in his own bed, he heard whimpers. But they weren't from Keith. Not this time.

They were from Krolia.

"Hey... What's the matter...?" He asked in a low whisper, taking a seat next to her on their bed.

"Nothing..."

"Right... But you sound like you're crying..."

"How long do human infants need milk?"

"What...?"

She asked again, sounding much more serious. "How long do human infants need milk...?!"

"Six months is the earl it I've beard they stop needin' it. A year is probably the most... Why...?"

"I've failed, haven't I...?"

"Absolutely not. Why would ya' say you've failed...?!"

"Because..." her voice shaking with emotion, she went on with her reasoning, "because Keith is just shy of four months and I already can no longer provide food for him..."

"What? No...!" He quickly pulled her to her feet, taking her into the nursery, a place where they could talk more freely. "This is just a small complication... abut we already have a solution...!"

"But I have failed!" She felt her eyes begin to sting with tears. "If I can no longer produce milk for him, then what next?!"

"What next....? What do you mean, 'what next'...?"

"What if I start loosing my grasp on motherhood?! What if I stop caring for Keith altogether?!"

"This is still a fear of yours... isn't it? You're still scared you're not goin' to be a good enough mother, aren't ya'...?"

She nodded ever so slightly.

"Alright... Come here..." Steven took ahold of her hands and pulled her in for a tight hug. He quickly wrapped his hands around her back. "I can't stop you from thinking those thoughts, but what I can tell you, is that you are a good mother. This doesn't change anythin'."

"I don't want to fail..."

"And you won't. I can promise you, you won't ever fail."

Krolia took a deep breath, resting her head on his shoulder.

"It's getting late, though... So you might want to get some sleep. We can figure out this whole formula, situation, thing, in the morning."

"Is he going to be alright until then...?"

"We have two more full bottles in the fridge, plus the emergency packets I did buy before he was born."

"So you did make a plan..."

"Of course I did." Placing a kiss on her forehead, Steven interlocked their fingers and led her back to their bedroom.

Krolia couldn't help but look at her son. She was his mother after all.

"Mama is sorry for earlier, but she hopes you sleep well." Steven told the child, confirming his statement with Krolia by a simple glance and a nod.

Keith fidgeted under his blankets, slowly placing his thumb in his mouth, falling back asleep within seconds of doing so.

 

 

***

 

 

A week has gone by since Keith started drinking baby formula instead of his mother's breastmilk, and so far, everything is going the complete opposite of fine.

At first, he didn't like it at all. He didn't like how it wasn't the same. It, to him, tasted much different than what he was used to. At first, he refused it every time it was offered to him, and on occasion, he simply refused to swallow. Keith often let it spill from the sides of his mouth, or he decided it was better just to spit it all out in one go.

These actions, for obvious reasons, worried his parents. If he won't drink the formula, he can't get his source of food. Which means he can't survive.

Even now, Keith sometimes refuses to drink what he is offered. He still hates it, but is much more accepting of it than he was a week ago.

   If anything, he quite likes the taste now, and doesn't mind the change. The only reason he would continue to refuse it, would be for personal enjoyment. He knows he gets attention bu 'acting out', and he also knows that him refusing to drink his milk, causes his parents to nag him about it, which means even more attention. Keith isn't trying to be a 'bad kid', he simply wants attention as any child would, and this new way works every time.

"Let's see if we can't hit a record for times since last refusal, shall we?" Krolia playfully asked her son as she grabbed a bottle of milk and took it to the couch with her, Keith at her hip.

"Aaaaahhh...!" Keith seemed interested in the drink, at least happy that he would be fed.

"Are you going to cooperate?" Krolia situated herself and the child so that the boy was resting his back against her stomach.

His excitement, however, vanished the second the drink hit his tongue. "Uuuuuhhhhh!" He mumbled in dissatisfaction, keeping his lips clasped tightly around the bottle. Keith knew he didn't like spilling milk on his clothing, he didn't like how it made the fabric wet, and his skin cold, but he also didn't like the formula.

"Okay, okay." Slowly, Krolia pulled the bottle from her fussing child. "I won't force you to— Oh, Keith...! Again...?!"

The second the bottle was out of his mouth, Keith tilted his head down and opened his mouth, letting the contents spill out into his lap. With recognition from his mother for his actions, Keith began crying.

"Great... Now I have to wash both you and your blanket." Krolia sighed with defeat, carrying the crying infant into the bathroom to run a quick bath, bringing the blanket with her to put in the wash after. She was already planning on giving him a bath, but this, highly unfortunate, turn of events, moved bath time up in the schedule to now.

Keith only now realized that he had messed up. He couldn't think like his parents could, he didn't understand events and happenings, but he did have a basic understanding of cause and effect. After spitting out his milk, he was to be given a bath. If there's anything Keith hates more than lack of attention, it's bath time. "Uuuuuaaaahhh....!" He looked up at his mother, his large, violet-black eyes filled with longing and fear.

   "You were due for a bath eventually, Keith..." with gentle hands, she removed the child's milk soaked clothing, slowly lowering him into the plastic tub.

   The second the boy felt the warm water on his skin, he began whimpering, looking directly at his mother, begging her not to bathe him.

   "I know.... Mama knows you hate this, but you need a bath." Krolia kissed his forehead before beginning to wash and clean her baby. "You wouldn't be in this situation if you had just swallowed your milk, silly."

   Keith squirmed as his mother touched his feet, pulling his legs up to his chest.

   Sighing, Krolia took a short break, not wanting to upset her child too much. "You're okay, Keith. It's just a bath. Mama isn't trying to hurt you. Mama just wants to make sure you're clean and healthy."

   "Aaaahhhaaaaah!" Keith was done with this whole thing. He wanted out. Why wasn't she listening to him? His parents clearly loved him, so why would they force him to sit in water for this long? This is just beyond his knowledge, and a far too advanced thought for him to have and understand. He only hopes that his mother will understand his hatred for baths and end this evil sooner rather than later.

   "You really hate this, don't you?" Krolia smiled kindly at the child, slowly and cautiously resuming her task of cleaning. She did feel bad for forcing him to go through this, but it was a necessary evil.

   Some time went by before Krolia had finished bathing her son. Of course, not without many complaints from Keith.

   She scooped up the fussing child and wrapped him in a towel. "There you go... No more nasty bath. Mama promises. All done for today...!"

   Her pleased tone calmed the child who had started sucking on the corner of the towel.

   She dried the infant with careful hands, taking her time as to not hurt or upset the boy. "You're going to like baths eventually... When you're older, Mama will give you bubble baths in the real tub."

   "Aahh..."

   "Yeah. The real tub. We'll buy you bath toys, and nice smelling soaps, and it'll be so much fun...!" She tapped his tiny nose with her index finger, causing him to smile. "Just you wait, little one. Some day, you and Mama will have lots of fun together, and you'll remember it all. But for now, I'll do the remembering. You just focus on growing and learning, okay?"

   "Aaahh...!"

   "I'll keep my side of the bargain, but you've got to keep yours too."

   Keith smiled, removing the towel from his mouth, "eeeeaaaaahhh!"

   Krolia placed the orange baby blanket in the basket of dirty laundry and picked up the child, carrying him upstairs to dress him. By complete accident, she had forgotten to put a clean diaper on the child before bringing him upstairs, and knowing that he had a tendency to 'go' after baths did not make this any easier. "Don't pee on Mama. Please don't pee... Please do not pee on your mother..."

   Though he didn't know the meaning to her words, he did as she asked. Not by choice, he just went when he had to, but thankfully, there was no need for him to relieve himself.

   Letting out a sigh of relief, she placed the child on the changing table and quickly put a diaper on him. "That could have gone much worse...." She thought out loud. "Thank you for not using me as a toilet. I feel very respected."

   "Aaaaahhh...."

   Krolia picked out a onesie for the child and began to put it on him. She fastened the snaps around his hips and smiled with satisfaction at her accomplishment. "There you go...! You're clean, you're warm, and you have a nice onesie on. Yay...!"

   Sharing her excitement solely by habit, Keith smiled and began babbling to himself.

   "You're too cute, Keith... I should be upset. You did something wrong, you acted out, again. I really should be upset with you..." she let him wrap his fingers around her index finger, "but I can't be mad at you. I just can't."

   Keith continued to babble nonsense, not waiting for his mother to reply to any of it.

   Krolia lifted the child into her arms, careful as to not let her finger slip from his grasp. She had become a pro at this, able to pick the child up from almost any position she was in, no matter if he was holding onto her thumb or her pinky finger. It didn't matter if she was sitting, standing or lying down on the floor next to him, she was able to scoop him up into her arms and give him the most loving and compassionate cuddles.

   Once in her arms, the child quieted down, curling up into a comfortable position, nuzzling into her chest as he always did. Keith had a habit of leaning into his parents as they held him. An odd kind of habit that was most likely started by the want to feel safe and protected by them. One of his few habit that his parents loved.

   "How about we try to get some food in you again, shall we, Keith...?" She asked, using her excited, high pitched voice to grab the boy's attention.

   "Aah... aahh..."

   "Is that a yes?"

   "Aaaaahhhh....!"

   Giggling, and nodding, Krolia took the infant downstairs and back to the couch to try and feed him once more.

   Keith reached out for the bottle in front of him. "Uuuaaaahh...!"

   "Alright... Let's see if you'll actually drink it this time. Don't make Mama have to clean you up again..."

Keith did as he was asked, and cooperated with his mother's instruments. He complied, drinking the milk from the bottle, not once spitting any of it out. Whether or not he did this because he was asked is unknown, but the child was undoubtedly growing hungry.

When he was fed and burped, he curled up on his mother's chest, resting his head on her shoulder.

Krolia placed a soft kiss on his cheek, stroking his back with a warm, loving hand.

The infant flexed the fingers of one hand, blindly searching for something. "Uuuhhh...."

"It's okay... She's right here..." sliding the lion plush into her son's hand did the job, and Krolia watched him settle down. "You're quite the handful sometimes, Keith..." she said with a small yawn. "I might have to take a nap with you..." she added jokingly.

Slowly, the child brought the toy to his mouth, sucking on the ear the second it touched his lips.

   "Hopefully you'll stop refusing your milk from now on..." resting her head on the cushion next to her, Krolia smiled at how at peace her son look. "Mama doesn't like making you cry... But you'll get baths if you soil your clothes..."

   Keith had heard none of what she had said, as he had fallen asleep, comfortably curled up in her arms. With one hand holding onto his lion, his other was gripping the fabric of her shirt. He was calm and happy, pleased to be sleeping on top of his mother.

 

 

***

 

 

   When Steven came home that evening, he was greeted by no one. The house was silent, which only meant one thing, his son was asleep, and so was Krolia. Most likely, the two were napping together.

   He was quick to notice Krolia asleep on the couch, that pleased him. She wasn't forcing herself to stay awake like she used to. That was good.

   It wasn't long before he saw the child in her arms. If there's one thing in the world that he loves more than his son and the love of his life, it would be seeing the two of them together. That never failed to put a smile on his face.

   After giving his lover a gentle kiss, he began preparing dinner for the two of them. Steven was cautious, not making too much noise in hopes of letting the two sleep longer. He was determined to let them stay comfortably rested on the couch.

   All the while, Krolia stayed fast asleep, still as can be to provide the most comfort for her son. Though she would forever refuse to admit feeling tired, she would never hesitate to admit her love for snuggling up with Keith to take a nap while the child slept on her chest.

   That was something the two of them shared interest in. They both enjoyed making their son happy, and both adored letting him sleep on top of them. Be it a parental thing, or simply a strange activity they enjoyed, it pleased the child, and thus pleased the both of them immensely.

   Anything that made Keith smile, made him laugh or giggle, or simply calmed him enough to fall asleep, was also something his parents had, over the past few weeks, grown to love.

   Love.

   That's all there was in this household.

   Nothing but love. Love for every memory they made, love for the times they shared, and most of all, love for each other.

   They had their faults, their ups and downs, and their own struggles, but love got them through all of it.

   Krolia and Steven were undoubtedly worried that their son had to make a quick change from breastmilk to formula, but the love the two had for Keith covered their worry, easing their fears, and allowing them to move on and persevere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I apologize for not keeping on my schedule   
> I lost track time and had some... issues  
> Anyway   
> I’m going to do my best to stay on schedule now.


	21. Mama

      "What's this one?" Krolia asked her son, knowing she wouldn't get more than a few random vowels as an answer.

   In her hands, she held a book, one filled with different kinds of animals. Each page spread had the animal's name, the sound it made and a drawing equipped with the appropriate texture patch. Soft fluff for cats, dogs, horses, rabbits and cows. Scale like patches for fish, feathers for birds, and a rather odd plastic like texture for frogs. The pages were like roman slabs, thick and tough to avoid being ripped by childish hands. And of course, the lettering was huge to help the child learning to read and speak.

   Keith sat in her lap, resting his back against her stomach, legs folded like a pretzel. "Uuhh..!" He reached out for the soft fuzz on the page, smiling as his tiny fingers touched the soft texture. "Eeeaaaahh!" He squealed with delight, loving how the book felt just like Little Blue. But it wasn't his toy. He knew that. The soft touch was still something he loved.

   The mother stroked his hair before she pointed to the bolded words. "That's a dog, Keith. And do you know what sound a dog makes?"

   The child seemed to ignore his mother's words altogether, finding something much more entertaining to focus on... His own two feet. 

   "That's it? One page and you're already bored?" With a sigh, she looked down at her son, smiling lovingly at him when their eyes met. "What is it going to take for you to be more engaged in learning?" She asked, trying not to sound annoyed, although, after trying to grab his attention for more than a few seconds, it would be a little tiresome to try and fail repeatedly.

   "Why don't you let him watch tv?" Steven suggested, coming downstairs with a plastic bag of what Krolia assumed to be dirty diapers. The only logical thing it could be.

   "And let him see all of those commercials and advertisements with loud noises and flashes? Absolutely not."

   "You do know there is a channel for infants, right?"

   "He's twenty five weeks old, and hasn't watched television one bit. I'm pretty sure he's fine without it."

   "Suit yourself, but those books don't grab his attention at all." With that, Steven left to properly dispose of the trash created solely by smelly diapers.

   Krolia let out a long sigh, shaking her head as she did so. "I don't think Earth entertainment is any good... But maybe you will..."

   Keith saw his mother pick up the tv remote and instantly began grabbing for it.

   "No, no, Keith. You have Little Blue to hold." She told him, placing the plush in his lap. "Only Mama and Daddy get to touch the technology."

   Although he was upset that he couldn't investigate the remote on a physical, hands on—and possibly tasting— level, Keith was satisfied with Little Blue.

   She was careful to keep the volume at a low level, as she quickly skimmed through the cable channels until she found what she believed was the one appropriate for infants. It certainly seemed like it, warm colors, soft music, calming narration. It seemed okay for a child. Whatever it was, Keith was interested in it.

   "Uuuaaah...!" Keith reached out for the tv, somewhat mesmerized by what he saw.

   "Okay... I'll admit it... I was wrong about the television..." Krolia admitted quietly when Steven entered the house again.

   "He likes it, doesn't he?"

   "It's hard to tell. He looks engaged and interested... But you know how fast his attention shifts from object A to object B."

   Unsurprisingly, Keith, hearing his parents communicate, tilted his head up to see what was going on.

   "Told you."

   Taking a seat next to Krolia, Steven pulled the boy into his lap, wrapping his arms lovingly around the child. "You really can't stay focused, can ya', Keith?"

   Ignoring those around him, Keith began babbling to himself. Random consonants and vowels. None of it meant anything.

   "Well, we tried. TV didn't work, books don't work, we don't work." Krolia stroked her son's arm, successfully grabbing his attention. "You've just got a mind of your own don't you?"

   "Aaahhaaahhh...!" Keith smiled with joy, as always, loving the attention he was receiving.

   "We know one thing is for sure," Steven paused, turning the boy to face him. "Keith... Loves... Attention."

   "But don't touch lil' Keithy's feeties, or else he'll giggle...!" Krolia teased, slowly extending her index finger towards the soles of his feet.

   Keith was, in simple terms, a rather oblivious infant at times, and never saw his mother go for his feet. Once he felt her finger touch the soles of his feet, he pulled them in as fast as he could, but Krolia wouldn't give in. After a few more seconds of attempted tummy tickling, Keith couldn't say no anymore. He gave into the tickles, laughing adorably as he let his mother lightly tickled his stomach.

   "There we go..." Krolia slowly stopped, letting Keith settle down on his own. "That's much better than anything television or books can give you, isn't it?"

   "Keith has sensitive feet, and a very ticklish stomach... Thus we use those two facts for personal enjoyment."

   "You just singlehandedly ruined tickling children for everyone from now on. Thanks."

   Steven looked to Keith, ignoring Krolia entirely. "Mama is crazy, isn't she?"

   "Uuaah....." Keith looked to his mother, then back to his father, as though he recognized the word 'Mama' as a name and not just another sound.

   "Yeah. Mama."

   Again, Keith looked to his mother, smiling cherubically. "Aaah...! Aaah...!" He turned to face her, outstretching his arms to her. "Aaah...! Aaah..! Aaah!"

   "Alright, alright. Mama's got you.." Krolia carefully took her child into her arms, letting him sit comfortably in her lap. "Looks like someone is able to recognize words now..."

   "Keith, where's Mama?" Steven asked as a test question.

   Instantly, the boy looked up at his mother, leaning his full weight onto her for much wanted cuddles.

   "And where's Daddy...?" Krolia asked him, placing an arm on his little shoulder.

   "Aaahhh!" With utter happiness, Keith reached one hand out to his father, smiling when Steven did the action back to him.

   "Maybe he'll be sayin' 'Mama' or 'Daddy' in a few weeks. It'll certainly be quite early for 'im, but I suppose everything is normal for his standards."

   Krolia nodded in agreement. "My bet is that he'll be saying 'Dada' by the end of the week. It's simple and most closely related to the sounds he's made already."

   "Really? You think Dada? He has a much stronger connection to you than to me."

   "I'm going off of logic and human norms. 'Dada often comes before Mama in child development'. That's what every book you bought says."

 

 

***

 

 

   It has been a week since Keith showed signs of recognizing his parents' 'names' on a deeper level, being able to show that he both understands the word and it's meaning. As well as who it attributes to.

   It's around nine, Steven and Krolia wanted to look at the stars together and decide to bring Keith along. Just to the front porch. That's all. Though it was technically past his bedtime, Keith had woken up a few minutes ago and it'd be easier to have him with them than having to go back inside and get him.

   Steven sat on the front steps, a thermos full of hot coco next to him, incase either of them wanted it, and of course, a bottle full of milk for Keith.

   Krolia came outside a bit later, sitting next to him, Keith in her lap. She had him wrapped in a blanket, a precautious move. "Alright... I cant remember the last time I've been able to look at the stars."

   "We haven't had much free time since Keith arrived." Steven said apologetically. "But I guess that's not too bad."

   Keith had never cared for being outside, but as long as he was with his mother or father, he didn't mind it. Plus, it was relatively quiet, a calm, peaceful environment. One perfect for an infant who, like Keith, enjoy tranquil scenery.

   Stargazing for them was never really about the stars themselves, but more of a silent hour or two. A period of time within which they would reflect on the past and share thoughts or memories. Just happy moments.

   Not once did they ever talk about anything even remotely related to the Blue Lion or the Galra. That was a rule they established before they even knew Keith was a possibility.

   Steven had turned off the lights inside the house to make the stars all the more clearer and brighter.

   As tradition, they named off the constellations, star clusters and galaxies that they knew of.

   The moon provided the most light, turning the desert sand into a light blue-white surface. In the shadows, the sand turned navy and black.

   Not one cloud was in the sky. It was perfectly clear. It was beautiful to say the least.

   A soft breeze blew past them, forcing Keith to snuggle into the blanket to avoid the colder temperature.

   After one whole hour of silence and watching the stars, something caught Krolia's eye.

   Pointing to an orange-red dot moving through the sky, she looked to Steven to check if he had seen it before it disappeared.

    "A fireball meteor. Those are rare..."

   "Are they...?"

   Steven nodded. "Nice job on spotting one. Although it doesn't have the same 'magical' properties as a comet does."

   "I'm pretty sure comets have magical powers." She admitted, looking down to her son. "Almost a year ago, I wished that he would arrive safely and would be a healthy child. You told me that magic doesn't exist. Yet here he is..."

"That was your wish...?"

Krolia nodded, smiling at the child in her arms, slowly stroking his arm. "Yes... I told you it was important enough to keep it a secret."

Keith slept in her arms, contently sucking on his thumb, his other hand holding tightly to Little Blue.

"And you're sure it was the comet?" Steven asked, knowing how odd his question sounded. But if the Blue Lion was constructed from some magical comet, then, in theory, all comets could have magical powers.

"No... But I didn't want to risk it... The idea of him being our child was so new at the time, I only wanted him to be a happy and healthy child." She let a calm sigh escape her lips. "I think my wish came true..."

Steven smiled, kissing her cheek. "I had a feelin' that was what ya' wished for... But I never said anythin', just incase I was wrong."

"I thought we established the fact that you're always right..."

"Not always... Most of the time, but everyone makes mistakes."

Krolia simply nodded. Her attention had shifted from the conversation to Keith.

"How's the little guy doin'?" Steven asked, letting his gaze fall on the child.

"He's good... But he won't be asleep for much longer."

Proving her words correct, Keith fidgeted in his mother's arms, quickly beginning to whimper.

Steven was quick to react, handing the child his bottle. "Look at you, memorizing his sleep patterns." He praised Krolia, surprised, but also somewhat unfazed.

"It's called motherhood and lack of sleep. You learn these things..." Krolia tilted the bottle up just enough to help her son drink from it. "Keith is also a very predictable infant, that's for sure."

"That he is..."

Time went by, and Keith had finished, relaxing in his mother's arms once again.

"I don't care how old he is, he's still a tiny newborn in my eyes..." the mother said in a happy whisper. "He still relies on us for everything, and I do not mind that one bit..."

Nodding in agreement, Steven stroked the top of the boy's head. "He is a bit smaller than most infants, but he's advancin' much faster than anythin' I've seen. Size wise, he's a bit behind, but skill wise, he's about two moths ahead, maybe even three."

"Or maybe he's just going at his own pace..." she suggested, smiling down at her son. "I think Keith is just learning at the pace he wants to."

"Breaking the norm like his mother..."

"Yeah. Like his Mama..."

Keith gave a small giggle, reaching his hands up to his mother. "Aaah...! Aaahh...!"

"Mhm. Mama." Krolia repeated her the name she selected for herself, continuing to smile at the boy. "What about Daddy...?"

The child glanced to his father before looking back to his mother. "Aaaaahhh..."

"You were right," Krolia pointed to Steven, "Daddy...! And," she paused, pointed to herself, "Mama...!"

"Aaaaaahhh... Aaaaammm...."

"That's a new sound..." The father commented. He could have sworn he heard something like an 'm', but he didn't hear it well enough. It could have just been another whimper.

Reaching his hands up to his mother again, keith repeated the same noise. The noise that sounded like a whimper, but most definitely had a few different noises in it.

Krolia fixed her position so that she was holding Keith in an upright position. "What are you up to...?" She asked the child, holding in her amusement as best as she could.

"Aaaaammm... aaahhh..."

His parents were silent. Both were trying to figure out what the child was doing and saying.

Keith reached out to his mother, resting his hand on her cheek, just as he had seen her do to him many times before. He smiled, a loving smile, mimicking the ones he received from his parents. "Mmaaammaa."

Silence.

Total silence.

Krolia was the first to make any sort of reaction. She slowly nodded her head, her eyes filling with tears. "Yeah...! Mama..."

"Mmaaammaa...!"

"'Atta' boy, Keith...!" Steven kissed his son's forehead, smiling with pride. "You said your first word...!"

The boy loved the attention. He continued to smile adorably, looking at his mother. "Mmaaammaa...!"

Krolia couldn't hold it in anymore. She let herself succumb to her emotions, cuddling the child lovingly, kissing him profusely. "Mama is so proud of you!" She told the infant, a tear running down her cheek. "You said it, all by yourself!"

Keith giggled and beamed with happiness at all of the attention. "Mmaaammaa...!" He squealed with glee. Loving every single one of the cuddles and kisses he was receiving.

"Daddy and Mama are so proud of you, Keith." The father slowly took the child into his arms, giving him the same attention the boy's mother gave. He looked to Krolia, kissing her cheek lovingly. "You look very shocked, are you alright...?"

"Absolutely... It's just... He said it. He said 'Mama'. And more than once. I... I don't know what to say. I'm just that happy..."

"Mmaaammaa...!" Keith kept smiling, never once taking his eyes off of his mother.

   "Looks like I was right about which one he'd say first." Steven commented. "I am very surprised that he was able to say that at only six months, typically they say their first words around a year, but—"

   "Keith is simply doing what he wants. Who needs statistics anyway? He's part human, part Galra. Not one standard is going to apply to him." Though her words were somewhat harsh, she had said and meant them in a loving way. Keith wasn't normal. He wouldn't follow the statistics and history laid out by those on either side of the gene pool. Keith would learn at his own pace, and Krolia loved that. It was just further proof that Keith was unique, and in her eyes, perfect.

   Keith giggled, cooing at his mother and father, hoping to grab their attention again.

   "Yeah?" Krolia used her excited, motherly tone in response to her child's noises. "Are you happy? Are you?"

   "Mmaaammaa!" The child squirmed with excitement, reaching out for his mother.

   "Okay, okay. Come here..." pulling Keith into her arms, Krolia let him sit comfortably in her lap.

   Steven watched the two of them, smiling with pride and joy. "I think it's fair to say that Keith has a favorite parent. He clearly loves you more."

   "I think Daddy might be jealous..." she whispered to her son. "Do you think he's jealous?"

   "Aaaahhh!"

   "You do...?!" Krolia though for a second before nodding. "Mama thinks so too."

   "Well that's certainly not what I was meanin' with that statement..." he paused, placing a gentle hand on his lover's shoulder. "I was simply pointin' out that all of your worries about bein' a good mother, were for nothing. Keith loves you and everything you do. Just as much as you love him..."

   "Yeah... I know he feels safe with me, but do you think it's love...?"

   "Absolutely. He can't say it now... But one day, maybe far from now, you'll hear him say that he loves you." Smiling at the infant in Krolia's arms, Steven gave a nod, looking back to Krolia. "Eventually, you'll hear him say it back to you. For all the times you've said 'I love you, Keith' or 'Mama loves you, Keith', it'll pay off. It might take a year, or even twenty. Regardless, he'll say it. But until then, he'll just show it. He'll show it with smiles, giggles, hugs, anythin' he can do to show you his love without saying anything. Just as you do for him, each and every day."

   "I quite like the idea of him saying that..."

   "Mmaaammaaa..." Keith muttered the word softly to himself before beginning to babble nonsense.

   Krolia kissed the top of his head as she got to her feet. "I think it's time we put this guy to bed."

   Resting his head on her shoulder, Keith smiled faintly, slowly bringing his thumb to his mouth.

   "Alright..." Steven gathered the rest of what they had brought out to the porch, and followed Krolia inside. "Do you want me to do it?" He asked, prepared to take the infant if she said yes.

   "I've got it... But you're welcome to come along..."

   Krolia took the child upstairs and into the nursery. Once inside, she checked his diaper one last time before beginning her nightly laps around the room, singing a lullaby to her son, and this time, trying to keep her loving and calming nature when she noticed Steven watching her. Embarrassment is a simplistic way of putting it. She wasn't embarrassed about her actions, but instead, she was simply not used to others watching her. She only ever sang for Keith, adding Steven into the audience changed her composure only slightly.

   Keith listened to every word, not even noticing his father or his mother's slightly change in demeanor. The listening was something he always did. He listened in total silence, completely captivated by what she sang.

   There was no denying how important Keith was to his mother, but also how important she was to him. Keith and his mother had a connection deeper than bloodlines, deeper than family affiliation. Krolia loved Keith more than anything, and it's not hard to see that Keith loves his mother just as much as she loves him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a few chapters left!  
> I can’t believe I’m saying goodbye to this fic in two weeks! ;-;  
> It’s been so amazing to write this, and I feel honored that others have read it and enjoyed it.  
> With just 7 chapters left, I present to you one of my favorite head canons, streached out and depicted in 3,000+ words.  
> At just six months of age, Keith said his first word, ‘Mama’
> 
> As always.  
> I hope you enjoyed!  
> ~Picci


	22. A Lesson In Mobility

   Keith had made a terrible mistake. At least in his eyes it was a mistake. He had shown his first signs of being able to crawl. His mother and father wanted to test his skills, and encourage him to learn how to do it on his own.

   Steven sat cross legged on the floor, back resting on the arm of the couch. He placed Keith in front of him, close enough that he could pick up the child, but far enough away that Keith wouldn't be able to get back to him without putting in a tiny bit of effort.

   "Alright..." Krolia took a seat across from Steven, staying close to Keith, but just out of his arms reach. "Come here. Come to Mama." She outstretched her arms, to her son. "Come one. You can do it." She told him encouragingly.

   "Mmmaaaammaaa...!" Keith was happy to see her sitting in front of him, but he couldn't get to her. There was at least a whole two feet between them. And for Keith, a twenty nine week old infant, that was too much distance.

   "Go on Keith..." Steven tapped the boy's back gently with his palms, accidentally pushing the boy forward and inch or two.

   "Come on. Show Mama what you can do." She patted her knees, hoping to encourage him to move.

   Keith looked to her longingly. He just wanted to be in her arms. That's all he ever wanted. Not on some floor where she was too far away. So far that he couldn't even touch her.

   "Look..!" The mother held up his blue, lion plush, her tone was ecstatic and she sounded very excited. "You can cuddle Little Blue too...! You just have to crawl to Mama."

   Keith started pouting. This wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want a challenge. He just wanted attention.

   Krolia could tell he wasn't happy with this situation, but if she gave in, then it would teach him that this was proper behavior. On the other hand, she didn't want to make him cry. "Okay... Here's what we're going to do." Krolia scooted forward, cutting the distance between them in half. "Now. I know you can make this distance."

   Keith tilted his head upwards, giving his mother one last chance to pick him up.

   "You can do this, Keith." His father encouraged. "It's just one little reach. I promise you'll be fine."

   After a bit of consideration, Keith reached out one arm, readying himself to crawl towards his mother.

   "That's it...! You're so close...!" Again, she patted her knees in an attempt to get her son to move the few inches towards her.

   Whether by choice and out of spite, or by pure accident, the child's arm, the one that had been holding him up, slipped out from underneath his body. With a smack, he met the ground, face down on the hardwood floor. He began crying as soon as he went down. Loud, screeching types of cries. Traumatized and in pain, Keith stayed still, crying on the floor.

   "Oh... no...." Krolia pulled the child into her lap, kissing his face and his arms, rubbing his back and his cheeks, gently rocking him back and forth in an attempt to silence his cries. "Shhh... You're okay. You're not seriously injured. Just a little bump on your head is all..."

   "I'll get a something to stop the swellin'." Steven said, getting to his feet and walking to the kitchen. Based on the way he sounded, he felt guilty. This was his idea. He was the one who made Krolia promise she wouldn't give into the child's fussing. But he didn't think the boy would've fallen flat on his face.

   "Mama and Daddy are sorry. We should've listened to you. We shouldn't have pushed you so hard." She handed him his lion and waited for him to grab ahold of it before she let go, putting her hand back on his shoulder.

   "He's not goin' to like this," Steven warned, placing a damp cloth on the boy's forehead. "It's cold, but it'll reduce the swellin' on his head."

   He was right, the minute the cloth touched his head, Keith squirmed in his mother's arms.

   "I'm sorry Keith. Mama is so sorry."

   Keith continued crying and squirming until he felt something odd touch his cheek. A strange, water-like droplet. But it wasn't from the wet cloth.

   "Whoa... Krolia...." Steven placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're not crying... Are you...?"

   She shook her head side to side, but she wasn't being truthful.

   "He's goin' to be fine. I promise. He just slipped."

   "I know..." taking a deep breath, she kissed her son's hand gently. "But I hate it when he get hurt. Especially like that... I could've prevented it."

   Steven kisses her forehead and took the child into his own arms. "It was a complete accident. If anyone is at fault, it's me."

   Krolia would've responded if it weren't for Keith making a few random and loud noises.

He had stopped crying, he just wanted real attention. Real cuddles. Not just to be held, but a real, loving cuddle.

   "Okay, Keith. Daddy hears ya'..." Steven gave her an apologetic glance before looking down at the boy and smiling. "Told ya' you were fine. Just a little bruise on your forehead."

Krolia let out a deep sigh, practically falling onto her back as she did so. "I hate being a mother...! I'm constantly overreacting to the simplest of situations....!"

"Your not overreactin', Darlin'... You're being a mom. If you didn't react to things the way you did, I'd be worried."

"You're just saying that to make me feel less guilty..."

Steven looked to her, shaking his head. "I really hope you're not as stubborn as your Mama." He told the boy in his arms. "Once Mama thinks of something, nothing can change her mind."

"Mmmaaammaaa..." Keith repeated the word with a smile, his gaze slowly falling on his mother. He reached out to her, waiting for her attention.

   "What?" Krolia sat up, changing the pitch of her voice to a much higher one.

"I think he wants his mama..." Steven pointed out the obvious as he placed the boy in his mother's lap.

Cooing and smiling, Keith nuzzled his mother, leaning on her, in a sense, asking for cuddles.

"Even after you've slammed face down on the floor, a cuddle will always cheer you up. Won't it?"

"Mmaaammaa...!" His tone was the paragon of happiness. No matter what happened, if Keith was in his mother's arms, everything was fine.

Steven noticed the child seeking for something with his eyes. The boy didn't have a word for it, and thus relied on parental help and observation. It wasn't long before the father figured out what the child was looking for. "It's right here, Keith." Holding up the lion just in front of the child, he waited for recognition before he would hand it to him.

In seconds, Keith was smiling at the toy. His toy.

"Little Blue, is that what you want?" His mother asked him, taking the lion from the boy's father.

Reaching out for it, Keith continued to smile, eventually babbling about his desire for his lion. "Iih boo...!"

His parents both held back laughter, not knowing what that noise was.

"Iih boo...!" Keith repeated, reaching out for the lion.

"Little Blue...." Steven looked to Krolia, a proud smile on his lips. "He's sayin' Little Blue. Or at least tryin' to."

"Iih boo...!" Again the infant repeated the jumble of sounds, waiting for his toy to be in his arms.

"Yeah!" Krolia quickly handed the boy his lion, praising him with cuddles as she smiled fondly at him. "That's Little Blue. How did you manage to get that one?"

"Still no Dada..."

"Oh hush. Little Blue is hard to say. He's done a wonderful job."

Keith put the ear of his lion in his mouth, somehow please by it's fuzzy texture.

"He's learnin' a lot faster than I thought he would've, but there doesn't seem to be any pattern to it..."

"Keith is just special." Looking down to the child in her arms, she changed her pitch and tone to her motherly one, kind and loving, and full of energy. "Are you? Are you special?"

"Aaaahhhh!"

"Yes you are! You're very special!"

 

 

***

 

 

Later that week, Krolia and Steven decided it was time to give another shot at getting Keith to crawl. He might not like it, and he might fail, but it's worth a try.

Krolia placed the infant on the floor, scooted backwards just a few inches and waited for him to react.

"Mmaammaaa...!" Keith reached out a tiny hand to her, sad to see her moving away from him.

"Come here...!" She encouraged, patting her knees. "You can do it."

Keith looked down to his feet, grabbed ahold of the lion plush toy, placed one of the ears in his mouth, and curled up on his side.

"What was that....?!" His mother asked, highly amused. "That's not crawling, silly...!" Krolia laid down next to him, resting her chin on the backs of her hands. "Are you just not ready? It's okay if you're not. Most human babies wouldn't start crawling for another month or two."

"Mmmaaaammmaaa...!" He muttered, still keeping the toy in his mouth. "Aaaaahhh...!"

"Yeah? You're not quite ready yet, are you?"

Keith reached out to his mother, managing to touch her cheek with his short fingers. "Mmaaammaa...!"

Krolia slowly nodded, softly placing her fingers on her son's cheek. "Keith."

Excited by this new form of entertainment, the child giggled, repeating the action. "Mmaammaa...!"

"Keith...!" She repeated his name, gently stroking his cheek.

"Mmaaammaa!"

"Keith...!"

This activity continued for a few minutes before an outside voice caught Krolia's attention.

Steven, watching all of this from the kitchen couldn't help but laugh at this 'game' the two had just created. "What in the world are you two doin'...?"

"Good question... I was trying to see if he would crawl... But then we just started saying Mama and Keith back to one another.

"Mmaaammaa...!"

"Like that." Krolia scooped Keith up into her arms and brought him into kitchen with her. "In all honesty, I think it's a bit early for Keith to be learning to crawl. Not that he can't, I simply understand if he's unable to do it."

"Fair point. But he did get close a few days ago. And he's only a month shy of the typical age range..." Steven was suggesting that they try again, although he knew they couldn't push too hard. Just because Keith was part Galra didn't mean he automatically learned things faster.

Yes, being half alien had decreased the time in which it took for him to hold his head up, sit unsupported and significantly lowered the age at which he learned to talk, but that doesn't mean it'll be the same for everything.

Not to mention, as it has been pointed out by his parents many times before, he's still very little. Size wise. He's not as big as other human infants his age.

"There's no need to push him..." Krolia made her point clear. "Although... It would be nice if we didn't have to cary him everywhere."

"You might be bored of carryin' this talkative, little, poop machine, but I certainly am not." Taking the boy from his mother, Steven cuddled him profusely, making the boy smile and giggle with pure happiness. "Keith loves cuddles."

"He certainly does."

"Come on. Let's see if we can't get him to crawl. If not, that's fine."

   Keith pulled his feet up towards his chest as he felt himself being lowered to the floor.

   "Already giving up...?" Krolia asked, tilting the boy's head up. "Mama believes in you. We won't push you too hard this time."

"Alright... Let's see what he'll do..." Steven slowly let go of the child, placing his hands on his knees. "Be ready to grab 'im incase he slips again."

   "You don't have to tell me. My motherly instincts are always turned on."

   "Aah! Aaaaaahhaaaaahhh!" Keith leaned forward towards his mother, falling forward onto his hands. "Uuaah..." he pushed himself pack into a sitting position and smiled. "Mmaaammmaaa!"

   "Yeah...! You're getting stronger and better at using your arms!" She stroked the top his head gently. "Now... Let's see if you can't show Mama and Daddy a little crawl...?"

The child turned back to face his father, and then back at his mother. "Mmaaammaaa..."

"Yeah. Come on, you can do it...!"

Keith slowly extended his hand to his mother. "Mmaaammaa...!"

"Go on, Keith. Daddy believes in you..."

The weight of his arm out in front of the little boy forced him to fall forward. "Aa—" shocked by the motion, Keith stayed still, but he supported his weight with both of his hands.

"That's a good start...!" Krolia lightly patted her knees like she did the last time.

"Keep goin', Keith. Just move your legs."

"Aaahhhh..." the child stretched out his other arm, ever so slowly, pushing himself onto his knees. Seeing the excitement in his mother's eyes alone, Keith continued, moving himself forward with a firm pull from his hand and push from his leg. "Aaaahhh...!"

Krolia waited for Keith to move another inch before praising him. "There you go! You're doing it!"

He pulled himself towards her until he could just barely reach her knees.

"Mama is so proud of you!" She pulled the child into her lap, kissing his cheeks multiple times as she hugged him. "You learned how to crawl! All on your own...!"

"Well, I certainly have never seen a child of his age and stature move on their own." Steven mentioned, moving to sit next to the child and the boy's mother. "But I guess there's a first for everything."

"Aaah...! Aaaaah....! Aaah...!" Keith reached out to his father, loosing his excitement completely when he was placed on the floor instead of someone's lap. He turned to his mother, his facial muscles were contorted into what looked like an angry expression.

   "Whoa...! That's not a happy face." Steven gave a chuckle in response to the child's attitude. "I guess Mama has decided that you're crawling from now on."

   Mumbling and babbling to himself, Keith looked away from his mother. He wasn't stupid. He had a general idea that he would have to put in some effort to get into his father's lap, but he also knew exactly how to get attention.

   Without warning, Keith, purposefully, fell forward, hitting the ground with a smack. Thankfully, this wasn't as painful as it sounded, but as if he would let his parents know that.

Both Krolia an Steven, however, knew that this little fall of his was just a ploy to get attention and get out of having to crawl.

With no reaction from his parents, Keith resorted to sounding in pain. He was, in a sense, faking it for attention.

Krolia let a sigh escape from her lips, slowly pulling the child into her lap. "You're okay... You fell on your hands anyway..." she kissed his forehead, silencing his cries.

Keith, after having gotten what he wanted, curled up in his mother's lap, babbling about nothing in particular.

"So much for being in pain." Steven laughed, shaking his head slightly. "He really knows exactly how to get attention, doesn't he...?"

"He certainly does..." after one final check for any injuries, and finding there to be none, Krolia placed Keith on the ground, scooted back, and waited for Keith to react.

Again, the boy began to look to his parents, his eyes full if abandonment. He did not want to be on the floor. Why couldn't they understand that?

"You're fine, Keith..." His father's tone was reassuring, letting him know that it was in fact okay. "Now, why don't ya' try that crawlin' again?"

Looking to his mother, and then back to his father, Keith let out a tiny whimper as he reached out both hands towards his father.

"Come on, you can do it..." Steven smiled lovingly at the boy, who, in turn, smiled back. "It's just a few inches. You can do this."

The reality of the situation was being to dawn on Keith. The fact that his parents were not going to help him was clear as day. "Aaaahhhaaaahh...!" Reaching out a tiny hand towards his father, Keith pushed himself forward with his short legs, pulling himself along with his arms.

"There you go...!" Steven couldn't hold in his joy much longer, and decided to reward the child early. He picked the boy up off the floor just before he reached his father's lap, and began providing him with attention, and lots of it.

Keith could not have been happier with this. Cooing and giggling, Keith leaned into the attention.

   "He undoubtedly likes his reward." Krolia commented, stroking the child's head with a gentle hand.

   There was no denying that if the reward was attention, Keith would do anything in his power to meet the expectations.

   After a few more tries, Keith got the hang of crawling. He figured out exactly how to do it, and even which surfaces were easiest to maneuver on. The hardwood floor was slick and provided easy movement, but it was har beneath his knees. He didn't like that all too much. The matts around the house were soft and squishy, nice on his legs, but they slowed him down.

   Not long after he figured this out, he found himself following his parents around everywhere they went. Everywhere but the stairs of course.

   Steven bought three baby gates shortly after Keith leaned about stairs. He would have only bought two, but Krolia insisted on one for the kitchen.

   With one at the top of the stairs, one at the bottom, and one in the kitchen, their house was officially 'Keith-proof' as Krolia called it.

   As any mother should be, she was worried that Keith might get into something dangerous or hurt himself on the stairs.

  Despite his parents being rather proud of the gates, Keith hated the blockades his parents had set up. Often times, he would sit outside of the kitchen and just cry. He felt separated from them, a feeling he did not like. The best part, for him, was when his upset was listened to, and he was picked up by one of them. It worked nearly every time.

   Another tactic that worked just as well, was pretending to hurt himself. Weather he bumped into the dining table, the couch, the wall, or pretended to fall over, he would cry and cry until one of them checked on him.

   Steven and Krolia both learned the falsity of these 'injuries', and created their own solutions.

   Normally, they simply told him he was fine, and he got over it. Other times, one of them would give him a physical check before heading back to where they were.

Regardless, Keith was able to get some sort of attention, and that was good enough for him.

His parents, on the other hand, were simply proud of what Keith had learned.

Keith had learned to crawl, something that seemed small, but for his parents, was a huge step forward. He was learning and growing, and with each and every new skill he showed and mastered, he only made his parents happier and prouder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re getting soooo close to my least favorite chapter ;-;  
> But on the plus side!  
> Lil Keithy is crawling now!  
> That’s fun :D  
> Hope you enjoyed this one!  
> ~Picci


	23. A Tragic Accident

   "Sorry I'm late..." Steven hung his head low, ashamed for arriving home a whole hour after he should have.

   Krolia shook her head, smiling as she took a break from trying to make her son giggle. "It's alright," she promised, "Keith and I had some fun, didn't we?"

   Keith only pouted and stretched his arms out towards his father, whining quietly.

   Steven quickly, yet carefully scooped the child up into his arms, kissing the boy's forehead before taking a seat next to Krolia.

   After providing the boy with enough cuddles to satisfy his needs, Steven looked to Krolia and asked, "do you want me to feed him? Or can you handle it?"

   "I can handle it." She slowly took the child from his father, laying him down in her lap, supporting him with her right arm. "He likes it better when I do it than when you do it." She teased, picking up the small, plastic bottle from the bedside table.

   "Aaah...!" Keith knew what this was, and it made him quite happy. "Ah...!"

   "Okay, okay. Give Mama a second." Krolia kissed her son's forehead, earning an adorable smile before handing him his drink. She didn't let go of the bottle, but she did let him hold onto it.

   "I wonder when he'll learn to properly communicate. You know. More words than just 'Mama'." Steven wondered out loud. It was clear that he wanted the boy to call him by name, but he wouldn't complete admit to that. It seems a bot too selfish for him to say out loud.

   "When he's ready, he'll learn, but for now, it's just 'Mama' and his strange way of saying Little Blue..."

   A few moments passed in a peaceful silence. A moment like this was amazing and magical. It was just the three of them. All three were together and happy.

Keith was contently drinking from his bottle, his small hands gripping the sides as though he was the one holding it and not his mother.

   Krolia and Steven both watched there son, nothing but love and compassion on their eyes.

It was true bliss.

   This moment was the paragon of a happy, loving family.

   But then that moment ended.

   The room was pitch black except for the light of the moon and stars when a light purple glow appeared to their left.

   There was a quiet, yet high pitched ringing coming from the table beside Krolia.

   Both of them immediately turned to see what was making that noise.

   Her blade.

   Her Marmora knife was glowing.

   This was not a good sign.

   "What's goin' on...?"

"I don't quite know..." her eyes drifted to her son, feelings of regret and worry filled every ounce of her soul.

Steven slowly took the child into his arms and placed the boy in his crib. He watched in silence as Krolia moved to the window, hearing a gasp escape her lips. "Are ya' gonna tell me what's wrong or—"

Without making a sound she motioned for him to stand next to her. "Those three ships. They're scouts. They must have picked up on the Blue Lion's signal."

"You don't think they're here to..." he paused for only a second, "to wage war on our planet, do you?"

"It doesn't matter why they're here. They're here, they're Galra and they must be stopped." From the window, she went to the dresser, pulling out supplies and her Galra uniform. Both of which she hasn't touched since she crash landed here nearly three years ago.

"So what's the plan?"

"I have explosives." Krolia handed the bag to Steven as she hurried to put her armor on. "They're not powerful enough to destroy a fighter, but if we detonate them in the intake valves, they could stop them from taking off." She slid her blade into its sheath and handed Steven a detonator. "Once they're set, use this to detonate the charges and take out the ships."

Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he looked to her, "what will you be doin'?"

"I'm going to find out what the scouts know and get rid of them."

"What about Keith...?"

Krolia felt her muscles tense up. "Keith..." She looked to her son, then back to Steven. "He's asleep. This give us roughly an hour and a half before we need to meet back at your hover bike."

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Leavin' him all alone."

"No... But if we don't leave now, we risk losing the Blue Lion to the Galra, and that cannot happen."

 

 

***

 

 

   "It looks like they know where the lion is..." Steven kept his voice low as he hopped off his hover bike. "Are we too late...?"

   As he had pointed out, the scouts knew exactly where the lion was hiding. Their ships were just outside the cave entrance.

   "No." Krolia replied harshly. "We cannot just give up. Plant the explosives, detonate them and get back here as soon as possible. If I don't meet you here in an hour, go home to Keith. Tell the Garrison everything." Krolia was ready to sprint off towards the cave when someone grabbed her arm.

   "Wait... What do you mean if ya' don't get back...?"

   "I don't know how many of them there are. I'm a good fighter, but there might be too many for me to take out."

   "Then I'll go with you."

   She shook her head, pulling her arm from his gentle, yet firm grasp. "One of us has to get back. You're the only one who can properly provide for Keith. There will be no further discussion."

   He only nodded. This was a risk they had to take. For the safety of their son, and their planet.

   "Set the bombs, detonate them, and return here. Promise me you won't wait for me."

   "You have my word."

   With a slight nod, she darted off towards the cave, using the shadows of the night to conceal her location.

   Taking a deep breath, Steven hurried to the ships. He would much rather the two of them had stuck together, but he also knew that was not an option.

   The first explosive was easy to set, he understood the controls and interface enough to calibrate it to the detonator he was given. Placing the second one on the second engine of the first fighter ship, he hurried to the next one.

   The area was dead silent. Not one living creature was around.

   Repeating what he had done for the first ship, he placed one explosive in each of the intake valves, set them, and calibrated them to go off at the click of the button on the detonator.

   This seemed easy enough. No Galra soldiers, no guns pointed at his head. That was a positive sign.

   He checked his surroundings one last time before heading to the final spacecraft.

   Just one more.

   Nothing complicated.

   Everything should have worked out the way it was planned.

   Everything would have, except for one problem.

   One of the scouts had stayed behind, guarding the ships and cave entrance. This scouter was unknown to both Steven and Krolia.

   Just before Steven reached the final ship, he felt a searing pain in his right arm.

   From behind, he had been hit by the scout's blaster.

   The pain was like nothing he had felt before.

   Steven was a firefighter. He had been through rigorous training, felt countless flames and burning debris fall on his back and arms. Not to mention, Krolia had almost blinded him when they had first met, and she had nearly broken his hand by holding it so tightly while giving birth to their son.

   He knew pain.

   But this. This was something different.

   The force alone was enough to knock him down.

   Falling forward, he hit the ground hard, the detonator had slipped from his grasp. If he wanted to use it, he would have to get up and grab it.

   He would have.

   He would have undoubtedly moved to grab it.

   But something stopped him.

   The sound of footsteps in the distance prompted him to stay down.

   The scout had slipped past him, ignoring the fact that he could still be breathing, and made their way into the cave.

   That's it.

   They're doomed.

   Steven had failed.

   He began blaming himself, he wanted to get up an run after the scout. Maybe he could reach them before they made it to the lion.

   He forced his upper body off the ground, but stopped before getting to his feet.

   Krolia words echoed in his mind.

"You're the only one who can properly provide for Keith."

   Steven couldn't go after the scout.

   That's why he was tasked to take out the ships.

   That was his job.

   And he knew that somehow, no matter how difficult, he had to finish his job.

 

 

***

 

 

   Krolia hurried inside the cave, a dark feeling engulfed her the moment she stepped in.

   The scouts had found the lion. They were already making preparations to take it.

   Sneaking her way through the caverns, she found the Blue Lion.

   Two scouts were between her and the lion. They were watching a monitor, one that was trying to break down the particle barrier around the ship. 

   Grabbing her blade, she threw it towards the control panel, shutting down the system instantly.

   The two turned to face her. Both grabbed their guns and began firing almost blindly at her.

   Clearly, these two were new recruits. Their aim was terrible.

   Easily evading their fire, she took out one of them with a strong kick to their lower leg and tossed them out of her way. Krolia grabbed her knife and attempted to take out the second one, but stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of a third weapon wiring up.

   "Drop your weapon!" He ordered.

   Krolia stood her ground. She didn't budge.

   "I spotted her sneaking in. She was with a primitive setting explosives."

   The way he called Steven a primitive infuriated her, but she kept her stance, her unwavering commitment to protecting the Blue Lion was clear. She wasn't going anywhere.

   The scout grinned, "he's been neutralized."

   "No...!" For the first time ever, she let her emotions show in battle. Neutralized didn't necessarily mean killed, but knowing the Galra, there was a high possibility. If Steven was gone, then she had to get out. She had to stop them. She had to get home.

   Keith needed her.

   "I said drop your weapon!" The scout commanded. His finger was on the trigger, he was ready to fire.

   She didn't want to give in. She wanted to fight, to snap his neck and the neck of the other two. She was angered. They had gone too far this time. Krolia desperately wanted to kill all three of them.

   But she knew she couldn't.

   She needed a plan.

   With a deep breath, she relaxed her stance, letting her knife fall from her fingertips.

   Unsurprisingly, they moved to grab her.

   Krolia, however, was thinking three steps ahead of them.

   Dropping to her knees, she grabbed her knife, threw it towards the one with the gun, took out the other two with brute strength and paused only for a second to breathe.

   The absence of the third and final scout worried her. She saw him running out of the cave. Something that would not end well.

   She picked up her knife and ran after him.

   She had to catch up to him.

   The life of her son, her lover and the rest of the planet depended on her catching up to him.

   She was so close.

   Krolia ran towards the entrance of the cave, exiting just mere seconds after the scout.

   But those seconds were the difference between life and death.

   By the time she had made it to the Galra ships, the scout had already started the engine.

   She froze in her tracks, terror filled every ounce of her body.

   The scout had escaped.

   They had taken off.

   The Galra would be here any minute now.

   She had failed.

   Krolia had failed. She failed to do her part, failed to keep the planet safe, but most of all, she had failed in protecting her son.

Watching the ship take off, she felt hopeless, everything had gone wrong, and there was no way of fixing it.

Out of nowhere, a flash of light appeared in the sky accompanied by a loud explosion.

The spacecraft had blown up.

To her surprise, Krolia spotted movement on the ground below her.

Her eyes widened, and she gasped with shock. "Steven!" Krolia ran over to him immediately, carefully helping him off of the ground. "Steven, are you okay...?!"

   Steven slowly nodded. "Yeah... I'm good. Just a little scratch on my shoulder. He struggled to prove his point to her, but smiled nonetheless.

   "Come on...." Krolia got to her feet, extending her hand to help Steven. "Let's get you home..."

   The walk home was long and tiresome. Steven relied on Krolia most of the way, leaning on her for support.

   When the two entered their house, they were greeted by the lonely, terrified, and uncomfortable cries of their son.

   "Go on," Steven leaned against the door, motioning towards the stairs. "He needs his mother."

   "Are you sure you're going the be alright...?"

   "Yeah, I'll be fine."

   Krolia went upstairs, grabbing a bottle of milk for her son on her way. She opened the door to their room, guilt filling her heart when she saw the way Keith was looking at her.

   The boy's violet eyes had turned red as a result of his upset, and his cheeks were wet with tears. He looked at her with fear and worry. Leaning on the guard rails of his crib, Keith extended his arms towards his mother. "Mmaaammaa...! Mmaaammaa!"

   The mother quickly pulled her son into her arms. "It's okay... Shhh... Mama is here..."

   Keith had begun coughing and hiccuping from his crying.

   "You're okay... Look...! Mama brought you something nice..." She rubbed his back gently, cuddling him as she handed him his bottle.

   Keith refused his bottle, instead he held onto his mother, resting his head on her shoulder.

   "Okay, okay..." Setting the bottle down on the bedside table, she held her son in her arms, "Mama is so sorry... You must have been so scared all by yourself..."

The child simply continued to cry, the noise was muffled by the fact that his face was buried in her neck.

In time, the child calmed down, enough to ask for his bottle. Of course, his mother understood and presented the child with what he wanted.

Almost instantly, Keith quieted down, changing to small whimper as he drank his milk.

"There, there..." kissing her son's forehead, she softly hummed a tune in hopes of calming him further.

Keith had always enjoyed this, being able to have his milk and listen to his mother sing. He loved that.

And Krolia knew he loved it, so she quietly sang the words. They weren’t anything special. Just a simple lullaby. It wasn’t her favorite, nor did she really want to be singing this specific song, but she couldn’t get it out of her head, and wanted to sooth her son the fastest way possible.

 

 

***

 

 

Nearly and hour had passed, and in that time, Krolia had tended to both her son and to Steven.

She had patched up his shoulder and fashioned him a temporary sling to keep him from reopening the wound and or doing more damage to his arm.

The sun had begun to rise off in the distance, the golden yellow rays of sunshine poked out over the horizon, turning the rooms of their house into faintly lit rooms.

It was the dawn of a new day, but this day could not end well.

Only Krolia knew this.

Steven had his suspicions, but he didn’t dare say a word.

The recent Galra scouting troop was not a good sign. Nor could anything good come out of it.

Krolia watched as Steven gently laid the orange blanket over their son. She was still in her Galra uniform, and she wondered if she should even say anything. The two had barely spoken since they got home. However, what she had to say was far too important to keep to herself. She forced herself to talk, inhaling deeply before telling Steven what was on her mind. “I must go...”

Without skipping a beat, Steven replied instantly. “I thought you’d seen enough war...” he didn’t look to her, nor did he seem to truly acknowledge her presence. He simply focused his attention on his son, placing his hand atop the guard rail of the crib.

“If they found the Blue Lion they’ll find it again.” She made her way to where her son was sleeping, her sorrowful gaze suggested she did not agree with her own decision. “I must report back to the Blades and stop the Galra from the inside...” resting her hand on top of Steven’s she looked down at the infant. “I’m sorry, but it’s the only way of keeping you both safe.”

Keith slept peacefully, unaware of the terrible news. He didn’t know his parents had left to defend his home from aliens that morning. He didn’t know his father was injured. And he didn’t know his mother was leaving. He didn’t know anything.

Krolia leaned over the side of the crib, placing a kiss on her son’s cheek. Slowly, she looked to Steven. “This is for Keith.” She held out her blade, cupping it in both hands. “He may need it some day...”

“I’ll hold onto it until the time comes...” Steven promised, taking the blade from her.

This was it.

This was her last day on Earth, and she knew it.

“I promise I will return as soon as I can... But until then, look after our boy. Please raise him with nothing but love and care... You know how needy he is...” As she spoke, her eyes trailed to her son. He was still asleep, that was good. But as she watched him, a pain grew in her heart. One made by regret and worry. “Remind him of how much you love him, every day, every chance you can get... And please try and remind him of how much his mother loves him.”

“You have my word.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [this is a two part chapter]  
> [part two will be posted soon]


	24. To Leave Behind

"I'll leave tonight..." Krolia told Steven as she gathered the few things that were hers. She had changed out of her armor, feeling much more comfortable in her tank top and pants than her uncomfortable and stiff armor. "It's safest time for all of us."

"I know you have to go... But I don't understand why you can't simply defend the Blue Lion whenever they might come back." Steven questioned, stroking his son's arm as the child slept cozily in his crib.

"Because it's too risky...!"

Keith began fussing quietly, startled by the sudden noise.

"I'm sorry, Keith..." instantly, she picked up her son, cradling him in her arms. "Mama didn't mean to startle you."

"Alright... So maybe it's risky... But is that not what we have been doin' for the past many months."

"That was before they found the lion..."

   "What's the difference...?!"

   "The difference is that they know where to look now! They've sent two scouting troops here and both of which have never returned! That's very suspicious!"

   This sudden increases in volume and tension scared Keith. He didn't like it one bit. Doing what he could to silence his parents, he let out a few whimpers.

   "You're scarin' him...! Keep your voice down...!"

   "I know, and I'm sorry, Keith..." kissing the top of her son's head, she continued, "but your father has to understand just how dangerous life on this planet has become. I can't stay here..."

   "I thought you said that Zarkon didn't care about simple scouts..."

   "He does when they're searching for the lions of Voltron! They're going to be sending an entire fleet here if someone doesn't tell them not to! I have to go! I need to protect you two!"

   Terrified cries came from the infant. He hated loud noises, and hated his parents' yelling even more. He began squirming in his mother's arms, somewhat begging her to be silent.

   "Krolia! You're upsetting him...! You don't want his final memory of you to be this poorly tempered, yelling woman, do you?!"

   Her eyes filled with disappointment and sorrow. "I cannot believe you said that.... And here I thought you would understand..." Krolia left the room in silence, carrying the crying infant in her arms.

   Steven moved to stop her, but seeing her completely focused on their child prompted him to give her some time to cool off.

   "Shh..." She stroked the child's arm gently, holding him close to her chest. "You're okay... Mama and Daddy were just discussing something important... There's no need to cry..." her tone was as kind as ever, soothing and calm.

Keith quieted down after a while, snuggling into his mother's chest for comfort, resting his little head against her shoulder.

Krolia stroked the back of her son's head soothingly as she took a seat on the couch. "Keith... I know you're scared and confused... But Mama has something very important to tell you..."

The infant slowly lifted his head, his violet eyes fixed on his mother.

"Something has happened... Something very bad and scary. So scary that Mama..." she saw the confusion in her son's eyes, knowing he didn't understand any of what she was telling him. "Mama has to go... Mama doesn't want to leave, but there's no other option..."

"Aaahh... Mmaaammaa...."

Forcing herself to smile almost pushed her over the edge, she felt tears brimming in her eyes, and for the first time in a long, long while, she felt as though she would cry. The kind of crying one couldn't stop just by taking a deep breath. This would be a regretful, grievous, and sorrowful crying, and with every passing second, her emotions ate away at her calm composure, tearing her down, nearly forcing her to just start sobbing. "Mama has to go bye-bye for a bit. Just like Daddy does when he goes to work... But... When Mama goes bye-bye, I won't be back for a while... I don't even know how long I'll be gone..."

Keith was about to look away when something caught his attention. He noticed his mother was crying, whimpering just like he does when he needs something. "Mmaaammaa....." Reaching his tiny hand towards her face, he felt his finger touch a tear on her cheek. "Aaaahhh...." The child knew what his parents did when he cried, and he desperately wanted to help his mother. He was more or less so copying their actions by handing his mother his lion plush, hoping it would do the same for her as it did for him.

"Oh, Keith..." Krolia shook her head pushing the toy back into her son's arms. "Little Blue belongs to you, not Mama."

He understood what she was doing, she was giving Little Blue black to him, but didn't understand why. "Aaaahh! Mama!"

"Is that your way of saying no?"

The child placed his lion on his mother's shoulder, defiantly looking up at her. "Mamma...!" Iih boo... Mama...!"

"Okay... I'll keep her for now..."

Keith seemed pleased with her cooperation. His smile was tiny, but he was undoubtedly happy with the current situation. Although, he still had no idea why his mother had started crying in the first place.

   Unlike Krolia, Keith did not know that his time with his mother was limited to about fifteen hours. Nor did he know that he might never see her again after today.

   Both of his parents knew these things, and both were trying to come to terms with the reality of it all.

   Krolia sat on the couch with her son for nearly half an hour. She was simply talking to him, telling him about the Blue Lion, about the beauty of space, and how much she and his father loved him. Of course, many other things entered their rather one sided conversation, but the majority of it portrayed her love for her son.

   Regardless off what his mother said or did, the child still did not understand why she was saying all of these things. It just made no sense.

   Why now?

   Why not before?

   Why?

   Keith didn't understand any of it, and he certainly didn't understand why it was just him and his mother. The child, by now, had forgotten the argument that had happened between his parents. He just wanted his mother and father. Not one or the other.

 

 

***

 

 

   Eventually, Steven had come downstairs to try and make amends, to apologize for his behavior earlier.

   "How are..." he cut himself off. The look in his lover's eyes was enough to tell him that she was not feeling well. Instead, he asked a different question, one he knew he'd get a truthful answer to. "How's Keith...? I take it he's calmed down?"

   Krolia simply nodded, her eyes were fixated on the child in her arms. "He's alright..." She gently ran a hand over her son's back as he snoozed on her chest. "He doesn't understand... He can't..."

   "It's goin' to be alright..."

   "It's not...!" Taking a deep breath, she finally looked away from her son. "I know you'll take care of him, and I know you'll never stop loving him, but what about me...?! I'm supposed to be his mother. And now I'm leaving..."

   Steven took a seat on the floor next to the couch. "I know... But you got to have faith, an' be optimistic. You'll see him again, and we'll see each other again. It just might be a while..."

   Keith shifted his position slightly, and accidentally woke himself up as a result. He fussed a little before his mother's calming voice reached his ears. Stretching his short arms to rid himself of his sleepy state, Keith propped himself up, looking at his surroundings. A smile immediately appeared on his lips at the sight of his father. "Aaahhh...!"

   "Yeah... Daddy is here now..." the mother said with a smile. "We're all here..."

   The child reached out for his father, having missed him in the short period of time in which the two were not together.

   Steven wanted to respond, he desperately wanted to hold his son, but he didn't want to take the boy from his mother. Not today, not ever. He knew how much Keith wanted his attention, and it hurt not to listen to the child's needs, but Keith needed to be with his mother. His mother needed to be with him.

   "Aren't you going to take him...?" Krolia asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

   "No... I would... But..." he sighed, looking to his shoulder.

   Slowly, Krolia nodded. "Oh... I see..." She placed a hand under Keith's bottom to keep him rested comfortably before she sat up, gently lowering the child into her lap. "At least sit next to us..."

   "Alright..." He couldn't say no this time. Steven got to his feet and sat next to Krolia and Keith. He barely had time to get comfortable before Keith crawled into his lap. "Hey..." His kind smile prompted Keith to get comfortable, and Steven could no longer resist giving the child attention. With his uninjured hand, he rubbed the boy's back and shoulders. "You should be with your mother, Keith..."

   Keith fixed his eyes on his mother, but quickly looked back to his father.

   "Your mother wants you, Keith..."

   The child didn't know what to do. His father was telling him something about his mother, but he had just gotten comfortable. Keith didn't understand what his father was trying to say. And with most things he didn't understand, he needed help from his parents. So, naturally, he began to whimper and whine.

   Krolia instinctively scooped the child into her arms, but didn't exactly do anything to sooth him. She cuddled him, yes, but she didn't say anything.

   The boy simply leaned into his mother's cuddles, he felt comforted by them, but was wondering why she remained silent.

   Steven too noticed this odd silence. "Krolia...? Is everything alright...?"

   Saying nothing, she only nodded her head, holding Keith close to her. Within seconds she was crying.

   "Mama..." Keith looked up to his mother, he was worried for her. This was the second time she had done this. "Uuuaaahhh...." Keith looked around his surroundings for his blue lion, but he couldn't find it. "Iih boo... Iih boo...!"

   Steven didn't know how to respond. Keith wanted his lion toy, but Krolia needed his attention as well. "Are you sure you're alright..."

   "I'm fine...! I'm fine..." Krolia frantically began wiping the tears from her eyes, looking away from the both of them. "Just give him his lion... Please..."

   He did as he was asked, handing the child the toy. Waiting for Krolia to talk to him.

   "Mama..." Keith grabbed at her chin, trying to get her attention, but she wouldn't listen. He tried again, "Mama... Ma—" he cut himself off, falling forward just a little. The child pushed himself back up, again, trying to get her to look at him. "Mama... Mama...!"

   "You can't ignore 'im like this... I know you're hurtin' but you cannot ignore him." Steven reached out to her, but she pulled away.

   "I just need a moment to myself...!"

   "The last time you demanded that I give ya' your space, you were minutes from goin' into labor. Now you're hours from leaving home for who knows how long...!" That got her attention, he relaxed his tone, giving her a calmer smile. "I didn't give you your space then and I am not givin' to ya' now."

   "Mama...!" The child called out to her again, this time, he succeeded. Keith smile adorably, barely giving her time to breath before lifting Little Blue upwards towards her. "Iih boo... Mama...!" His cheerful tone alone was enough to put a smile on his mother's face.

   "Thank you, Keith..." She kissed her son's forehead, cupping his chubby cheeks in her hands. "Mama can't keep Little Blue, but I'll hold onto her until I have to go."

 

 

***

 

 

   For the next fifteen or so hours, Krolia and Steven alternated between the one who wanted Krolia to stay, and the one who knew she had to leave.

   Neither of them wanted to have to say goodbye, neither of them wanted her to have to leave her family behind.

   She had been through so much in just the past eight months. She had raised her son as much as she could. And the months before that, she had carried her child in her womb, awaiting the day in which she would be able to hold him in her arms.

   Krolia had spent hours on end talking to her unborn son, running her hands up and down her abdomen, feeling him move and kick inside of her, and every moment before her son was born, was special to her.

   Once Keith had come into the word, into her life and Steven's life, everything changed.

   Her unconditional love for her son grew exponentially with every passing day.

   She was with him for so many first.

   Krolia had spent long nights singing to her son, thinking about their life as he grew up.

   She was there to witness him roll from his tummy to his side for the first time. She watched him prop himself up on his elbows, and eventually sitting up without his parents' support.

   Krolia was there when he recognized his parents' names, when he learned to crawl and the first time he addressed his toy by name.

   But perhaps most important, was that the first word from her child's mouth was 'Mama'. The name she had given herself over a year ago. The name she chose to go by in her son's presence.

   But now, she may never hear him say it again. She may never see him again.

   The ship was ready, and the sun had set.

   It was time for her to go.

   Krolia cradled her son in her arms, his innocent eyes told her that he had no understanding of what was going on. He didn't know she was leaving, and he didn't know why.

   "Mama..." Keith cooed in her arms, smiling at her as he always did.

   "You better learn to say Daddy real soon, Keith. That word won't do you much good anymore." She kisses his forehead lovingly. Krolia didn't want to go.

   "Mama...!"

   She slowly shook her head. "No... Mama has to go... Mama has to go bye-bye. Mama won't be able to take care of you anymore..."

   Keith heard the sorrow in her voice, and responded accordingly. He stayed silent, but he was scared. She wasn't her normal self. The boy quickly began fussing. He knew what the term 'bye-bye' meant. He knew it meant someone was leaving, but why did it have to be his mother...?

   "It's okay... Shh... You're alright..." Krolia soothingly rubbed his arms and his tiny hands. She almost burst into tears when he grabbed onto her thumb. "Mama has to go... But don't you ever forget how much I love you. Mama would do anything to stay here with you. But I have to go..."

   Keith started crying, he had figured it out. His mama was leaving him. Between his tears, he was able to force himself to call out her name. "Mama...!"

   Krolia couldn't hold it in anymore. She held her son close to her chest and let her emotions get the best of her. Soon both her and Keith were crying. Krolia, however, knew this couldn't last. She took a few deep breaths before she began calming her terrified and saddened son.

   Keith would have kept crying. He would have cried for hours on end, but something stopped him. Something calm and beautiful.

A simple song.

His mother’s voice.

“Baby mine, don’t you cry...” she began so sweetly, easily hiding her emotions in song. “Baby mine, dry your eyes... Rest your head close to my heart... Never apart... Baby of mine...”

The infant held his cries, listening intently to his mother. It was as beautiful as always. His mother’s singing was one of his favorite things.

“Little one, when you play... don’t mind what they say...” she continued, running her thumb along his cheek gently. “Let those eyes... sparkle and shine...” Krolia stopped suddenly. There was no way she would finish without crying, and so, she did her best to continue. “Never a tear... baby of mine...” She felt tears brimming in her eyes, and she knew that soon she would be crying again. “From your head to your toes... You’re so sweet, goodness knows... You are...” trailing off on for a second, the mother blinked tears from her eyes, forcing herself to finish the lullaby. To finish the last song she would ever sing to her child. “...so precious to me, cute as can be... baby of mine...”

Keith had barely noticed her crying, the boy had simply fallen asleep. But at least he was happy. He would never know why she left, and he would undoubtedly ask for her every day.

Even Krolia knew that he would ask for her, wait for her by the door, call out for her when he wanted her, but she would never be there.

Despite every inch of her wanting to stay and raise him, she knew she could not stay. Krolia knew she had to go.

Steven knew it too.

They both did.

But that didn’t make it any easier.

“Keith... Mama love you more than you could ever understand. Mama wants nothing more to stay and watch you grow, hear you say Daddy and so many different words. I want to stay and raise you like a mother should...” she cried as she placed her son in his crib. “All I want is to be with you. To help you learn to walk, wait for you to come home from your first day at school, and to walk with you through the desert. I want to explore the word with you, just as I had promised... I am so sorry that I have to leave...” Krolia wiped away tears as she spread his blanket over him, the one she had picked out specifically for him. The one she had first held him in. “Don’t you ever forget how much Mama loves you. Please don’t ever forget how much I love you. You are so loved...” kissing his lion plush, she handed it to him and kissed his forehead for the last time. She watched him for a few moments, doing what she could to calm herself. “Goodbye, my sweet angel... Goodbye, little one... Goodbye, Keith...”

One last time, she left his side turning out the lights in the room and closing the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There....  
> It’s been done....  
> I cannot tell you how many time I cried writing this chapter  
> Too many  
> Far too many times  
> “Baby Mine” from Dumbo fits Krolia’s view of Keith so perfectly.  
> I cried just reading the lyrics to myself, knowing I would be writing it here.  
> I didn’t like the idea that Krolia left right when she got back from saving the Blue Lion.  
> I didn’t like it one bit  
> And I know for a fact that she didn’t  
> If you couldn’t tell, the focus of this chapter was on a mother’s love for her son  
> I don’t know if I’ll introduce Keith into the story again, because I’m not sure how I want to end this  
> You have at least two more chapters  
> I definitely want a happier ending than this, so I will work Keith into the story, but I don’t know where I am going to end it. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this far.  
> It means a lot  
> I hope you enjoyed this two part,angst filled, Mother’s love focused chapter.  
> ~Picci


	25. Mind Over Matter

   It had been almost a month since Krolia left Earth.

   But a month on Earth feels much different in space.

   For Krolia, it only seemed like a couple of days, four or five, at most a week.

   Not to mention, all of the systems on the ship were programmed with Galran measurements, including time.

   A varga was roughly twenty to thirty minutes on Earth, a dobosh was about a fifth of that, and a tick was just a tad longer than a second.

   Weeks and months were much different, not to mention, a Galra day, or quintant, was much shorter than an Earth day.

   Krolia did her best to keep track of the Earth time she spent away from Steven and Keith, but after days of drifting through space, looking for the Blade of Marmora base, she was beginning to lose track of time she spent in the ship itself.

   She began to worry that she would never get home, that she'd return, only to find that her absence on Earth lasted fifty or sixty years.

   That would not stand.

   She had promised that she would get back.

   She would stick to that promise.

 

 

***

 

 

   As Krolia approached the base, a message, written in Galran, appeared on her monitor.

   "Identify yourselves." The computerized voice commanded.

   "Krolia. Marmora Commander." She answered with a stern tone.

   "You may enter. Present identification upon arrival."

   This would not be good.

   Identification meant her blade. The blade she had left on Earth with Steven. The one she had passed down to her son.

   She would have no choice but to explain herself and her actions.

Following the path through the cosmic storm that was protecting the base, she landed her vessel just outside the walls.

   "Krolia."

   Instinctively, she turned to find out who was calling her name. "Thace. Glad to see you're still in the fight."

   The operative by the name of Thace simply nodded. "Yes, and to you as well." He waited for her to present her blade, something the members of the Blade of Marmora used to communicate whether or not they were there by choice or by force of their enemy.

"I don't have it." She told him. "I must speak with Kolivan." Krolia demanded harshly.

"I cannot allow you to enter. You know the rules."

The organization was built on trust, which meant that if Krolia wished to gain entrance to the facility without her blade, she would have to convince Thace to let her inside. This wouldn't be too hard since her status alone made her trustworthy, but without her blade, she would have to be convincing when she said that she came alone.

Most of the time, if Marmoran agents are captured, their blades are taken. If captured by pirates, bounty hunters, or bandits, their blades were stolen, melted into liquid metal, and then sold. The Luxite inside of the blades was an extraordinary, yet very rare material. Most planets, by now, were void of all traces of the element.

The Blade of Marmora has only a limited supply of the metal. After that, the only remaining Luxite items would be the blades of the Marmoran operatives.

"I understand the protocol, but I must speak with Kolivan. It's urgent."

Thace seemed slightly interested now that she had mentioned it being urgent. Someone like Krolia would often give up when trying to gain access if their mission had been compromised. However, her unwavering determination to get inside the base intrigued him. "What's so urgent that you lost your blade to get here?"

"The Blue Lion."

 

 

***

 

 

The doors of the lift opened and Krolia stepped out. The dark, gray surroundings were uninviting, nothing like what she had lived with for the past three years.

Stepping forwards towards the center of the room, Krolia did her best to act natural and not draw any attention to the fact that this design was no longer to her liking, nor that she was more or less so illegally inside the base.

"Kolivan." Clearing her throat, she stopped a few feet in front of the one she had addressed.

This Kolivan turned from a screen they were moderating to see who had called their name. "Krolia?"

Krolia nodded. "I have news on the—"

"Where is your blade...?!"

"It's no longer with me." She quickly answered. "But I have news about the mission."

"You were gone for pheobes. You have no blade. What happened?" His impatient tone signaled that he was not in the mood for anything but a straight answer.

"I found the Blue Lion of Voltron." Krolia handed the operative a device, one that stored all of the relevant data on the Blue Lion. "But so did the Galra. We have to make a move before they find her again."

"Her? The lions are weapons. Beasts. They do not have characteristics like us. Do not speak of them with such friendly terms."

"Right..." Over the three years she had spent on Earth, Krolia had grown comfortable with using 'her' and 'she' to speak of the lion. However, it appears as though doing so here, would not he possible nor allowed. "Regardless, I protected the lion as much as I could, but after they found the lion, I came back here to continue my mission from the inside."

"Why?"

"Why would continue the mission...?"

Kolivan shook his head. "Why did you leave the planet? Why not just watch over the planet and the lion and defend it when the scouts arrive. That is what Antok did before we pulled him back here."

He had a point, but Krolia had her reasons. "There are..." she paused, carefully choosing her words. "The planet is inhabited by innocent beings. They call themselves humans and their planet is known as Earth."

"How do you know this?!"

"I was on their planet for three 'Earth years'. I learned a thing or two about their culture."

At this, he seemed most upset. "You spoke to them, didn't you...?"

"No, sir. I would never dare do such a thing. That's against the rules. Talking with outsiders is dangerous, and I understand that quite well."

"Then where is your blade?"

Krolia was caught off guard by his sudden questioning of the location of her blade. "I told you. It's no longer with me."

"Accidentally lost or purposefully left?"

"Left..."

Kolivan looked displeased, but his tone was somewhat understanding. Although, he clearly was not at all understanding. "With whom did you leave your blade?"

"My—" Krolia cut herself off. Her habit of telling Kolivan the truth, and nothing but that, had not warn off. "A human." Clearing her throat, she tried to pass her mistake off as if she choked on air.

"You met someone, didn't you?"

Krolia shook her head. "No! No, I didn't. I know better than to become sensitive and soft during missions."

"Then, Krolia, tell me, where is your blade. Who has it, where are they, who are they and why do they have your blade?!"

She gave in. There was no point in lying anymore, she had too many mistakes in telling her story already. "They're trustworthy. I found the Blue Lion with their help. They aided me in keeping the lion safe, and never did anything to give me reason to suspect them."

"And how do you know they aren't with the Galra?!"

"Because the Galra don't overtake planets as primitive and peaceful as Earth!" She immediately lowered her head, ashamed of her actions and sorry for her outburst.

"Krolia, the truth is all I want." Kolivan placed a hand on her shoulder, "You have one varga to solidify the full story. After that, you tell it to me."

"Yes, Kolivan..."

 

 

***

 

 

"So this... Steven, who is a primitive—"

   "Human." Krolia corrected. "He is a human."

   "Right. This human... He knows everything of the Blades, the empire and the lions?"

   "Yes. We worked together to protect the lion for the time I was on that planet."

   "And you left. Why?"

   "The Galra will destroy that planet and every innocent being until they have that lion." Pausing only to breathe, she fixed her eyes on Kolivan. "I left to stop another innocent world from being ruined by the empire."

   "No. You left to save this human."

"I told you, we simply worked to achieve the same goal." Krolia knew the repercussions of having someone special to them. The Blade of Marmoran puts the mission above all else. Any actions with love or honoring life over success is considered a crime and is treated like such. She could get herself killed because of this. Marmoran agents don't get kicked out. There is only one way to enter, and one way to leave. Krolia knew this very well, but she would do nothing but stand her ground to protect what she believed was right. "He was nothing more than someone who helped me with my mission."

Kolivan did not seem convinced. "Krolia. I've known you since you were a child. You're not one to abandon a task. You have never left a mission. Not once."

"It's been a while, Kolivan. I've learned—"

"You haven't learned anything!" Narrowing his eyes, Kolivan continued with sharing his take on the situation. "The only thing you learned to do was to love! And here I thought I could trust you..."

"I wasn't acting out of love for him!"

"But you were acting out of love!"

"Not for him!"

"Then for who?!"

Krolia felt her mind empty of all logical thoughts. It was as if her mind had been wiped of all sense and intellect. She couldn't think. And for nearly a whole minute, she stood still, unable to answer.

"Who did you leave on that planet? Why did you abandon your mission?"

"I..." She took a deep breath, giving up entirely on avoiding the truth. "I didn't want to leave..."

"Then why did you leave?"

"To protect someone... That's why I left."

"Who is this someone? Is it not the one who aided you in finding the lion?"

She shook her head slowly. "Not just him..."

"There was another? How many humans did you talk to?"

"One. Just... One."

Kolivan looked utterly confused. How could you know more than one person, but only ever have talked to one? "Explain..."

"The other... Wasn't truly human... Not entirely."

"You speak as though they're a hybrid of some sort." The harshness and insensitiveness of that last statement of his wasn't intended to be so prominent, but it was there no less.

"He's not a hybrid!" Without thinking, Krolia had jumped to defend her son. It was completely accidental, but she didn't regret it. Not fully. Keith was her son. He was no hybrid. He was her child. Not a hybrid.

"He?"

Her silenced only proved his assumptions to be corrected.

"There is a hybrid child. Who's is it?"

Krolia couldn't bring herself to answer his questions.

"Krolia...? Who's child is the human hybrid?"

Silence.

She refused to answer.

"Krolia! Answer my question!"

No answer.

Krolia refused to answer.

"I'm not trying to interrogate you, I just want answers." His tone was kinder than before, but he was still upset with her choice to leave her mission. "It's for safety. Safety for our organization. Our operatives. I need you to answer."

"The child is..."

"Who's child is it?!"

"Mine!" Her eyes stung with tears as she admitted to the biggest mistake of her life. The mistake that brought her so much joy and happiness. "The child is mine! And he's not a hybrid!"

"You're... a mother...?"

Krolia slowly nodded. "He's my son, and I have to get back out there to stop the Galra. For him."

"I cannot allow that."

"Kolivan, please! I know I've made a terrible mistake, but he's just a boy! He's barely old enough to move around on his own! Please let me fight so that he has a chance in life!"

"You're far too emotional to be on the front lines." Kolivan pushed past her, "you will stay here until you are more collected and start acting like your old self again."

There was no point in arguing.

It would be best for her to agree to his terms.

And so, she did.

Krolia agreed to each and every condition he had.

She promised that her actions from there on out would be for the mission and not for Keith.

That was her only option.

   The sound of her name had startled her slightly, and she turned to face Kolivan.

   "Krolia," he paused, his expression was softer than usual.

   "Yes, Kolivan?"

   "This child, do you love them?"

   She nodded.

   "Do you regret bringing them into the world?"

   Krolia shook her head, "not for one second."

   He grinned just a little, nodding and processing her answer. "And, what is their—"

   "His." She corrected. "I have a son."

   "What is his name?"

   With a smile, she answered, "Keith." Her smile was similar to that of the one she gave when she first said her son's name. The name she hoped she would be able to use again soon.

 

 

***

 

 

Weeks had gone by.

Many weeks.

Enough for three Earth months to have passed.

Krolia had done her best to keep track of the time she was away from home. Absent from Steven's life and her son's.

She didn't know the what exact date, but Keith, by now, had turned one year old.

She had missed his first birthday.

This pained her so much.

Leaving for a while is one thing, but being absent on her son's first ever birthday is completely different hardship.

Krolia had spent every minute she wasn't sleeping, in the training arena, fighting robots and training new recruits. It was the only way she could keep herself sane.

   During many of the nights that had passed, she barely slept. Often times she would wake at odd hours, hearing her son's cries. She knew it wasn't real. She knew he wasn't there. But the vividness of the noise was enough to drive her mad.

   Each time she heard the cries, she had a rush of panic, some sort of odd anxiety. And once that was gone, she headed for the training deck.

   Overtime, these events had lessened, and eventually, stopped altogether. Still, even without the hallucination-like happenings, she didn't sleep. Never more than a few hours.

On this particular day, Krolia was called in to speak with Kolivan and a handful of other Blade commanders on new missions.

"Krolia," Kolivan looked to her, "you will be assigned to Ranveig's base. He's a newer warlord, but his tasks are of the utmost importance."

"You want me to work for him and find intel on his quadrant of the galaxy." Krolia responded, assuming and accepting her duties almost immediately. "Any shipments that pass through his territory, and all documentation of quintessence will be sent here."

"You will leave tomorrow."

"Yes, sir."

 

 

***

 

 

   The base she was relocated to was under high surveillance.

   Her task, at first, was a simple guard. She would watch the quintessence hold, make sure each and every ounce was accounted for, and report her daily progress to those above her.

   As she succeeded in doing her part, she moved up in the ranks. Slowly, but surely, she gained access to more and more areas of the base.

   Months went by.

   Years passed.

   Word of Voltron's return had sparked a panic in the base. Many new recruits were brought in, and many new ships made. A new war had begun.

   And with this new war, came new responsibilities.

   Krolia kept in close contact with the Blades. They had sided with Voltron and it's Paladins. All were from Earth.

   This alone made her happy. There was a chance her son was still alive. A chance she could go home to Steven and Keith.

   At one point, however, all communication with the outside was lost.

   Word was, Zarkon had been stuck down, murdered, killed. No one knew how, but everyone knew who had taken the life of their emperor. The Paladins of Voltron.

   Then, for months, even Voltron had disappeared.

   No one had contact with anyone.

   The only ones in the base who had spoken to anyone in the outside world were Ranveig and a handful of the highly ranked commanders.

   Krolia was one of them.

   Over the years, she had gone from a simple lowly recruit to the base's second in command.

   It took time, and lots of it.

   Many years had passed. Krolia didn't know the exact number, but it was, in all likelihood, at least ten. Ten Earth years.

   Keith was still young, still just a boy, an impressionable child.

   If she could just get back to him, then she could make it all right.

   With Zarkon gone, there was hope of destroying the empire for good.

   Everything would work out fine.

   She could go home.

   She could see Steven and Keith, and live the life she wanted to.

   Her plan was flawless.

   Except for the fact that a new emperor took the seat.

   Appointed by the high priestess, Haggar, Zarkon's son, Lotor took the throne.

   Large quantities of the empire that had been lost, were quickly taken back.

   With no Voltron, the Blade of Marmora could do nothing.

   Krolia began to accept the fact that she might never get home. She was prepared to give up on her dream of returning home.

   Months after Lotor became emperor, Zarkon had miraculously returned. There was no doubt it had been Haggar's doing.

   Each member of the base she was stationed in, was relieved, but not surprised.

   What did surprise them, however, was the quick announcement of a Kral Zera.

   The competition that chose the next emperor.

   Krolia heard of the Blade of Marmora's plan to destroy the structure on which worthy opponents fought.

   That was a bit of hope.

   Hope was all she had.

   Hope that they would succeed.

   Hope that the empire could be taken down, overrun, and gotten rid of once and for all.

   All she could do was hope that one day, one day soon, she could go home to Steven and to Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... I forgot to post this.   
> Woops  
> Sorry  
> Yeah, in case you didn’t notice, Krolia’s ten year prediction is wayyyyy off  
> I will go in depth more about her and Ranveig. At least his base. It’ll take a couple of chapters though.   
> And with the whole her and Kolivan thing.   
> Kolivan truly does care about her feelings and wellbeing. She’s probably his best fighter. He just doesn’t know how to act because he (like most other Galra) has never known love.   
> Anyway   
> Thanks again for reading   
> ~Picci


	26. Back Home

Four months had passed since Krolia had left. It was October again.

Keith was one year old today.

While he was still quiet little for his age, he was close to walking. He could stand on his own for a few moments before he plopped back down on his butt and tried again.

Steven had been going to work only a couple of days each week, and had started bringing Keith with him a month and a half ago.

Though Keith was, in general, tolerant of his father's coworkers, he never liked being with them if his father wasn't in the same area.

That was one of the easier tasks of bringing Keith into the real world.

First, Keith had to get all of his shots, vaccinations, and a birth certificate. That was not a simple task.

Once Keith was registered in the system, Steven took him to a doctor, where he got his vaccines and a mandatory blood test to prove that his father was in fact his father.

Not long after that, Steven broke the news to his coworkers, explaining his absences and apologizing for not saying something sooner.

But perhaps the hardest task of all, is celebrating the first birthday of his child without Krolia.

Steven missed her more than anything.

He loved her.

Both he and Keith desperately wanted her back on Earth, but only Steven knew that would not happen. Not for a while.

Yesterday, Steven had bought a tiny cake for him to share with his son on this very special day.

It was just the two of them, and seeing as Steven was the only one who would actually really eat it, the small size of the dessert was not a problem.

   Keith could eat solid foods, but he was quite picky. Plus, he had only been eating food for two months now, and was still teething. It certainly wasn't a painless process, and he often found himself chewing, or more so gnawing at a toy.

   His father had bought him a special toy just for teething, and Keith enjoyed it very much.

   Recently, Steven decided to move the crib into the nursery. It was where it was supposed to be, but something about how Krolia had spent countless hours comforting Keith in there, gave it a special feel to it, one enough for Steven to want to go against Krolia's wishes of having their son sleep in their room.

   Steven had been wandering the downstairs of the house, doing nothing in particular, when a small noise came from the upstairs rooms.

   Keith had woken up, and he was in need of attention.

   Upon opening the door to the nursery, Steven saw his son looking directly at him. Keith was waiting for his father to comfort him.

   The boy smiled the second he saw his father. "Aaaahhhaaahh!" His small fingers were wrapped around the guard rails as he pulled himself to his feet and began reaching for his father with one of his hands the second he entered the child's view.

"You're up early." He told the boy with a kind smile. "Today is a very special day. Do you know why...?" Steven asked the question with such enthusiasm, he was answered by random noises and babbles. None of it was a real answer, but it was enough. "Today, Keith, is your first birthday. Three hundred and sixty four point two four days ago, your mother brought your into this world." He paused, lifting the child from the crib and into his arms. "Now, isn't that special. Today, you are a year old. Happy birthday, Keith."

   Keith giggled with pure delight, adding a totally random mix of consonant-vowel combinations to add to his father's words.

   "Yeah. You know how special today is..." Taking his son to the changing table, Steven began removing the used diaper and yesterday's clothing from the boy. "Today is all about you."

   "Aaaahhh....!" Keith giggled again, placing his fingers in his mouth and lightly chewing on them.

   "Yes it is...! Today is Keith's special day, and to make this day even better, Daddy was extra nice and brought you home your very own—"

   "Mammaa...."

   Steven was taken aback by his child's sudden response. "Mama? No... Sadly I couldn't get Mama to come home..." He wasn't surprised the boy was asking for his mother, but what did surprise him was the uncanny timing the boy had. Keith didn't know what his father was saying, so there wasn't a way that he could've meant it in any way other than him just simply wanting his mother. However, when the child had said the word 'Mama', it did make Steven feel terribly sorry. It pained him that Krolia was not here, and more so that the child was without their favorite person.

Tilting his head back to look at his surroundings, Keith continued to chew on his fingers. "Aahh..." He looked to his father and then began looking around again. "Mama..."

"I'm sorry, Keith... Mama will be home soon... Don't worry..." He worked in silence, trying to keep a smile as he finished changing his son.

Tiny amounts of saliva had begun to accumulate on the child's fingertips, enough for his father to act on this rather unsanitary habit. Keith smiled adorably as his father cleaned off his fingers. He would have put his hand back in his mouth, except his father handed him his toy, the plastic-like one for teething. Happy to bite down on almost anything, Keith graciously took the object from his father, placed it inside his little mouth and began gnawing on the edges.

   "You and I are going to have fun today. It's your birthday, and I promise to make you the happiest boy alive."

   In response to Steven's kindness, Keith babbled happily to his father, trying to mimic a conversation.

   It was rather adorable how Keith did everything he saw his father do. He was copying, but because he wanted to learn it all.

   Steven brought the boy downstairs and placed him in his high chair, bringing the cake over and setting it in front of the boy. "You've never had sugar before, so this should be fun."

   Keith smiled joyfully, babbling about nothing. He had, in the past few days, started talking to his father in random babbles and noises. He wanted to have real conversations, but he only knew four words; Mama, blue, up, and his interesting way if saying little.

   Of course, little and blue were used as one thing, 'Little Blue', but his father liked to give him the extra knowledge.

   His pronunciation of the word blue had improved. The 'l' consonant was still hard, and so was 't'. However, the original 'iih boo' had become "wihw bwoo'.

   Keith was learning quite quickly, but he still couldn't address his father.

   By far, Keith's favorite word was 'up'. Although the 'p' sound was barely recognizable, it was there, one just had to listen.

   While Keith talked to himself, Steven cut a small piece of cake for himself and split it with his son.

   Forks and spoons were not ever given to Keith, as he never once used one correctly. The boy instead used his hands.

   Steven did feed his son, but Keith much preferred doing it himself.

   Inspecting the cake, by hands on learning, Keith brought a small amount to his lips. The second the sweet food touched is tongue, Keith quickly ate all that he was given.

   He loved it.

It was tasty and different from anything he had eaten before. Keith absolutely adored it.

"Just like your mother..." Steven reminisced on how Krolia had quite the liking for sweet flavored foods. That love for sugar seemed to have been passed down to Keith.

The boy flexed his fingers before reaching out with a tiny hand, grabbing at the cake.

"No, no..." sliding the dessert out of his son's reach, Steven shook his head slowly, keeping the kind smile on his face. "You have to take it slow. Too much sugar and you'll get hyper. Too much frosting and you could be sick."

Keith didn't like the food being pushed away from him, and he made sure his father knew his opinion on the matter. The child whimpered and whined, reaching for the new food he had just tried.

   Steven ruffled the soft hair on his son's head with a gentle hand. "You can have some later, but for now, you need real food."

   This was the exact opposite of what Keith wanted. He didn't want the 'real food'. He wanted this cake stuff. It was much nicer. When his father placed the ‘real’ food in front of him, he pouted instantly. Keith put on his 'grumpy face' and stared at his father.

   "Come on... I know you're hungry." Steven waited for Keith to eat the food he was given, but the child never did.

   Keith fixed his eyes on the cake. That's what he wanted. Not nasty vegetables. Those are gross. He has not ever like them. Cake on the other hand, is sweet, and he loves it.

   "Well, you'll be hungry eventually." Steven picked up the child and took him to the couch. "Seeing as you won't eat, I might as well let you open a gift. Isn't that fun?"

   Keith, being presented with a small item coved with colorful paper, became quite happy. This was new. This was something he had never seen before. "Aaahh....!" He grasped the item in his hands, inspecting it, and trying to figure out what it was.

   "That, Keith, is called a present. It's yours." The addition of the phrase, 'it's yours', was a way for him to give the child permission to fiddle with the object. He had taught Keith not to touch was was not his, nor anything that wasn't given to him.

Keith caught on quite well given his age. Despite only being a year old, he understood the importance of keeping his hands to himself. He was a good listener and followed his father's 'orders', doing as he was told to the best of his abilities.

Steven watched his son patiently as the child fiddled with the paper. "Do ya' want a little help...?" He asked, offering to provide some aid to the struggling child.

   Keith reacted to his father's words by immediately pulling the object away from him and holding it close.

   With a sigh, the father watched the child fail in opening the gift multiple times. Steven was rather surprised to see Keith suddenly stop fidgeting.

   Keith looked up to his father, holding the item out to him. "Aaahhh...."

   "You want me to open it?"

   The boy nodded, babbling to his father, wanting his help.

   Steven slowly brought his hands to the gift, ready to take it when Keith said something rather odd.

   "Aaahh... Dada...!"

   He looked to his son in confusion. Did he hear him correctly? Or had he just imagined it?

   Again, Keith pushed the gift towards his father. "Dada...!"

"You... You want my help?"

Smiling just a tiny bit, Keith mumbled a few random sounds. "Dada...!" He repeated, looking at his father pleadingly.

"Alright..." cautiously, he took the gift from the boy. "Dada will help ya' out." As Steven carefully and slowly pulled back the wrapping paper from one end of the toy, he pondered over how Keith had come the decide to call his father 'Dada'. Keith was quite able to make a 'y' sound. For a year, he had called himself 'Daddy'. Not 'Dada'. This being said, he instantly fell in love with the name he had been given.

   The child outstretched his arms, grabbing at the gift. "Aaah...! Dada...!" He flexed his little fingers, slowly beginning to whine. "Daaadaaaa....!!"

   "I hear ya'..." Steven placed the somewhat opened gift in the child's lap, motioning for the boy to open it further.

   Keith slid his fingers inside the tiny hole in the paper, instantly lighting up with joy and excitement when his fingers touched something soft. "Eeeaaahhh...!!" Copying what his father had done, Keith pulled at the paper until he could remove the gift from its packaging.

   "Do you like it...?" He asked the boy, waiting for a response of some sort.

   Squealing in excitement, Keith hugged the gift tightly to his chest.

   Though small, the gift was enough for the boy. Keith had been given a small plush toy, one not much bigger than his hands. The toy itself was hard and round, yet hollow, and meant for teething. With a black and white spotted dog 'holding' the top of the circular plastic.

   Without skipping a beat, Keith placed the toy in his mouth and began chewing on it, both hand clasped tightly around the ends.

   "You certainly do like tastin' things, don't ya'...?"

   The infant cooed, his sounds muffled by the object in his mouth. Keith slowly took the toy from his mouth, smiled and climbed into his father's lap. He leaned back, looking up at his father and smiled with great joy. "Dada...."

   "Yeah...? Dada is listenin'."

   Keith looked around the room, suddenly starting to cry. "Mama..."

   It didn't matter how many days Krolia had been away, how happy the child was at the time, or how much attention the father was giving the boy, if Keith wanted his mother, he wanted his mother.

   Krolia had been absent from his life for four months now, but every second of every day, Keith looked and longed for her.

   Steven soothed his son as much as he could, calmly telling him that he wasn't alone, and that his mother would return home soon.

   After a good while filled with cuddles and attention, Keith settled down and resumed his chewing of the toy.

   The reality was that Keith wanted his mother, and he would never truly be happy unless she was there. However, this would not be possible.

   Krolia had an important job to do. No matter how much pain and regret it brought her. Nor how lonely and abandoned Keith felt.

   She had to be away.

   But hopefully one day soon, she would return home.

 

 

***

 

 

   Nearly two and a half years later, Keith sat alone in a small room filled with books, toys, posters and a small table with a chair in front of it.

   Now three years old, Keith had mastered the art of walking, running, drawing and various other toddler skills. He also knew a considerable amount of vocabulary for his age.

   Keith was at a doctor's office. He was being tested for some sort of health or medical issue he did not know the name of.

   He was significantly shorter than all other children his age, and weighed less than he 'should' because of it.

   His pediatrician had asked his father if she could meet with Keith to see what he could and could not do.

   The door opened and the child looked up from his feet.

   "Hello, Keith." The woman said kindly, sitting in front of him. "How are you today?"

   "Okay..." was all the boy said. Today was the first time he was without his father. Of course, Keith had been to daycare multiple times, but he knew that place well, and felt comfortable there. Here, on the other hand, he was worried and scared.

   "Are you nervous?"

   The child slowly nodded.

   "That's okay..." the doctor watched the child with kind eyes as she got to her feet and asked him to take a seat at of the table. "We're just going to play a few brain games to see how smart you are. We'll even take a break to play a bit."

   The truth was, Keith would be tested from the second he sat down at the table. The play session was also a test in its own way. His intellect was that of someone a year or two older than him, but his size was that of someone a year younger than him.

   His pediatrician wanted to meet with Keith one on one to check for any developmental issues the boy may have, and to see if his physical ability matched that of other kids his age, or if it, like his stature, was below the norm.

   Keith did as she asked, completing each task to the best of his abilities. His answers were often short, and sometimes he just nodded or shook his head.

   At one point, the pediatrician had began asking Keith more personal questions. She asked him what he was physically capable of— grabbing, holding, or lifting things— and even asked if he was potty trained or still used diapers.

   That question did make Keith giggle just a tiny bit. Although he's rather intelligent, and quite mature, as any three year old would, he too finds 'dirty' language silly and funny.

The toddler continued to answer her questions truthfully, and with little to no hesitation each time. He only paused when she mentioned his life at home.

"Do you have any pets?" She asked, patiently waiting for the boy to answer.

Keith shook his head slowly, "no..."

"Do you want one?"

"I want a puppy...!" He smiled adorably, "Daddy said I can get one when I'm older."

"That's wonderful...!" The doctor kept her kind tone, being as enthusiastic as ever. "Now... I know Daddy said you can have a puppy, but what about Mommy?"

"I... Um.... Mama... well, she..." Keith looked at her, unsure of what to say. His violet eyes began to sting with tears, and his lower lip started quivering. "I don't live with Mama..."

"Do you ever see her?" Knowing full well that Keith only ever saw one of his parents, she asked the question anyway. To her, it was a harmless question.

For Keith, however, it was a reminder that he doesn't even know who his mother is. The child mumbled nervously under his breath while shaking his head.

"You miss your Mama, don't you...?"

Looking around the room, now completely uninterested in the woman and her questions, Keith fidgeted in his seat.

"You're okay, Keith." She reassured him, "you don't have to talk about that. Why don't we take a break?"

"I want to go home..." The child whimpered, keeping his eyes lowered.

His doctor knew she couldn't force the child to stay. Agreeing to let him return to his father, she led the boy back to the waiting room of the building.

The second Keith saw his father, he ran towards him.

"Hey...!" Steven scooped the boy up into his arms. "How was it? Did you behave?"

Keith was on the verge of tears, burying his face in his father's shoulder. "I wanna go home..."

   "Alright... We'll go home very soon." He rubbed the boy's back soothingly. Naturally, he wanted to know how Keith had done in his 'test', and thus asked.

   According to the doctor, Keith's slow growth development is not a problem. He'll only be a bit shorter than his classmates for a while.

   That alone was good news.

 

 

***

 

 

   Keith had stayed quite for the entire car ride home. He hadn't said a word to his father.

   Climbing onto the couch, once at home, the boy curled up, hugging his blanket close to him.

   "So...!" His father took a seat next to the child, pulling his son into his lap. "What's gotten ya' all upset?"

   "Nothing..." Keith's tiny voice made it obvious that there truly was something going on, something that was visibly upsetting him.

   "Come on, you know Daddy knows if you're lyin' or not."

   Keith rested his head on his father's chest, slowly beginning to whimper. "Why don't I have a mom...?"

   This was not the first time Keith had asked about Krolia, and it definitely would not be the last.

   Regardless, Steven was still not used to his son asking about her. "Well... That's not true, now is it? You've got a Mama. She loves you very much."

   "But..." The toddler forcefully wiped his eyes, forcing himself not to cry. "Where is Mama...? I wanna see Mama... I wanna see Mama now..."

   "You will... Soon. I promise you will..."

   Keith shook his head. "No! Not soon...! Now!" He looked up at his father, tears brimming in his eyes. "I wanna see Mama! Why— Why can't I...?" As a tear rolled down his cheek, he sniffed, keeping his eyes fixed on his father. "She doesn't like me... Does she...?"

   "Keith... I've said this before, and I'll say it again until the day I die..." Steven wiped the tear from the boy's cheek with his thumb, gently cupping the boy's cheek in his hand. "Your mother loves you more than anythin' in the entire universe. Mama wants nothin' more than to come home an' be with you."

   "Then why... Why isn't she here...?"

   "Because..." the father sighed, he didn't have a reason. He couldn't tell the boy the truth. He was far too young to understand anyway. So, Steven told him what he always told him, "sometimes things happen, bad, things. And as a result,things have to change. Even if that means you can't always see Mama..."

“But...” Keith leaned his head into the palm of his father’s hand, “everyone else has a mom... Everyone at daycare has a mom and a dad... Why am I the one who can’t see Mama...?”

It didn’t matter what Steven said, nothing could change the boy’s mind. He felt abandoned and left behind. Of course, Keith still had his father, but his mother had been the most important person to him for eight whole months.

For nearly thirty five weeks, Keith had spent every hour of every day with Krolia. Then, suddenly, for a reason unknown to him, she vanished from his life.

Keith wanted to see her. To know that she loved him. That’s all he wanted.

That’s all he would ever want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got some foreshadowing in there ;)  
> Um  
> Yeah.  
> This was just a mess.  
> I don’t think this had a point  
> Other than to further prove that Keith really wants his mom  
> Also a little hinting at the “I don’t know why I’m that way” from Keith’s vlog  
> But yeah  
> (Also. The fandom agrees that Keith is short as heck. So now y’all know why :3)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this  
> Thanks for reading  
> ~picci


	27. To Make It Right

   Krolia was pulled from her sleep by a banging on the door to her room.   
   Calling it a room is quite generous. It was, in actuality, a small closet like space on on one end of the galra base near the command center. It had a bed, and a door. The bed, however, was horribly uncomfortable, hard and firm, making sleeping close to impossible.   
   She quickly threw on the rest of her uniform, slid the blaster into its place, and opened the door.   
   "Command Krolia!" One of her subordinates was waiting outside for her. "Warlord Ranveig wants to speak with you immediately."  
   With a nod, she pushed past the other Galra and headed for the command center. 

 

 

***

 

 

   "You asked for me?" Krolia questioned the male in front of her.   
   The Galran turned to face her. "Yes. I am going to the Kral Zera to win my seat as emperor." Ranveig informed her. "You will be in charge until I return. Watch the experiment closely and if anyone attacks my base, you are to put it on lockdown immediately."  
   "Yessir." Krolia watched him begin to leave when a thought crossed her mind. She didn't think twice about asking it, it just slipped out. "And should you not return, what will be done with the experiment?"  
   "Why would I  _not_  return?!" He asked, infuriated. "I am Ranveig! Strongest and most worthy of all Galra. I will do nothing but win that title!"  
   "I only meant that if you were requested to begin your duties as our new emperor immediately, sir. I have no doubt you will come out on top." She hurriedly corrected herself.   
   "I like your thinking, Krolia." The warlord grinned, an evil, malicious and vile grin. "Lotor has destroyed this empire, Zarkon did little to fix it." Ranveig paused, staring directly at her.   
   Krolia recognized this as his way of checking her allegiance. "That is correct. However, you, Ranveig, will be the one to fix his mistakes."  
"Haggar was a fool to believe that Lotor, an impure halfbreed could  _ever_  control the empire."  
   And with that, he left.   
   Krolia hated her role as second in command. She hated pretending to support Ranveig and the rest of this empire. She would much rather go on the mission with Vrek and Illud. The two were tasked with destroying the Kral Zera.   
  That's what she wanted to do.   
   There was another spot open, but it had been given to another member. A new recruit.   
   Their name was not given to her, but she had a strange hatred for them. She didn't know them, so they must not be that important. So why are they on the mission and not her? Even if another skilled member were on the team, that would calm her nerves, but this one had no name.   
   Once Ranveig left, Krolia sent word to Kolivan.   
   This was her base now. She owned it for the time being, and made sure that all officers, commanders, sentries and fighters knew not to enter the bridge unless they had her permission.   
   That would be absolutely no one.  
Not one member of this base would enter the command center unless they had her, and only her permission. 

 

 

***

 

 

   After many vargas, a transmission came in from Kolivan.   
   "Kolivan," Krolia addressed the lead blade official with her loyal and assertive tone. "What do you need?"  
   "A blood duel has broken out among the warlords and commanders." He informed her. "As it is now, many have been killed, and Voltron has arrived at the scene. Ranveig's super weapon may be in danger."  
   She wasn't surprised that they were basically killing each other off, that was what Galra did. What did surprise her was the fact that the super weapon, the experiment, was in danger. "You want me to destroy the base?" The Marmoran seemed more than ready to blow the place to smithereens on his command, but at the same time, equally ready to defend it.   
   "That is correct," Kolivan confirmed her statement. "However, I'm sending in another operative to get you out."  
   "I don't need help." She argued. "My heart is with the Blades. If I must die to protect them, then that is what must be done."  
   The 'them' used, was not in reference to the Blade members. 'Them', referred to her lover and son back on Earth. Everything she did with the Blades was a win, something she could say helped to protect her family.   
   The Blade commander seemed unhappy with her devotion to her mission. "I do not doubt your commitment," he agreed, "however, this is not your typical extraction mission."  
   "Explain..."  
   "This, operative, the one I am sending to help you destroy the weapon and return here safely, they are..." Kolivan paused, choosing his words extra carefully, "they're not our typical recruit."  
   Krolia cocked her head slightly, confused by his avoidance of not only their name, but that which made them so 'special' as well.  
   "He has one of our blades, yet neither I nor Antok gave it to him."  
   "Is he a skilled fighter and flyer?" As she asked the question, she began running the systems for a total lockdown, the only way to destroy the super weapon. "If so, then I do not care how they got their blade."  
   "They're not Galra either, Krolia."  
   "I'm not full Galra, yet you let me into this organization." She argued. "Look, I don't care who they are, I don't even care how they got their blade. They have one, and they're good enough for you to send. That's all I care about."  
   Kolivan very slowly gave a nod. "Fair enough... Would you like their name?"  
   "It will help." Krolia admitted, stepping backwards to focus on Kolivan and not the systems. "If they know my name, I would like to know theirs."  
   "Their name, Krolia," the man paused again, fixing his gaze on Krolia. "They are from Earth, previously fought as a Paladin of Voltron, but now fights with us, using your blade."  
   Krolia may have stopped breathing for a split second. A human, from earth, with her blade?   
   "And, as promised, their name...." Kolivan let out a sigh, sounding regretful. "Their name is Keith."

 

 

***

 

 

   This was not the situation she wanted to be in. A human, with her blade, by the name of Keith, came from earth to the Blade of Marmora as a Paladin. This is exactly why she left. To avoid anyone from that planet--her son and lover most of all-- becoming a part in this war.   
   Krolia paced back and forth in the command center, contemplating on how to handle this situation. Keith  _was_  her  _son._ She has absolutely no idea how long she's been away from him, nor how old her boy is. The last memory she has of him, was from the last time she saw him.   
   Keith wasn't even nine months old when she said goodbye to him, and now he's grown up enough to fight in a war. Her war. The war she left to fight in order to keep her son safe at home with his father.   
   His father.   
   If Keith was fighting a war, was Steven even still alive?  
   Thoughts like these swarmed her mind, deteriorating her stability. Everything she had done in the past, who knows how many earth years, was for not. Each shipment she counted, each new Blade member she trained, each rank she earned, all of it was for absolutely nothing.   
   She had failed at keeping her son out of the war.   
   Could she even keep him safe now?

***

   A unit of twenty sentries entered the command center per her request.   
   "Ready for escort?" One asked, it's robotic voice echoing through the silent room.   
   Turning from the control panel, Krolia nodded, following the sentries to the main hallways.   
   A bit ago, she had word from Kolivan that he had lost communication with the operative he had sent to her. They made it to the base, but seemed to have crashed, enough to cut their comms.   
   For some odd reason, this didn't phase her. She seemed fine with it.   
   On the other hand, a different part of her was on the verge of breaking down under the current circumstances.   
   As she walked through the halls, she felt as though she was being watched. Every so often, she would feel a pair of eyes on her, but if she ever turned to look, no one was there.   
   By now, the operative was late, and most likely not going to show up.   
   Krolia came to a part in the ship where multiple halls converged, and again, felt that same feeling.   
   Turning around, now tired of this feeling of being followed, she was rather surprised when she caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a Blade uniform. One used out in the field of intelligence gathering missions, or by new recruits.   
   "Commander," one of the sentries grabbed her attention, "we must take leave. Trug has begun attacking the base."  
   "Go on ahead, I'll give evac orders from the bridge." She lied, instead heading to find out who exactly was following her.   
   Grabbing her gun, she charged it, ready to shoot if anyone made a move towards her.   
   Krolia soon saw a figure crouching behind a wall.   
   Dressed in a Blade uniform, they were undoubtedly the one Kolivan had sent. Krolia took precautions as she approached them, not wanting to draw attention to herself nor the other operative.   
   While they weren't too bad at hiding, Krolia couldn't help but notice their flaws instantly. They didn't wait for any sign of clear pathways, they just moved on ahead and hoped they wouldn't be spotted.   
   Another thing she noticed was their stature. They were short, even for someone from Earth.   
   Doing her best to focus on making contact with this seemingly inexperienced Blade and not on their ability or size, Krolia pointed her weapon to their head, but kept her finger off of the trigger.   
   If she had learned anything from Steven, it was to approach someone peacefully first.  
   Once the weapon touched the back of the shorter Marmoran's head, they spun around, activated their blade and held it to Krolia's throat.  
   Their blade?  
   No.   
   That was  _her_ blade.   
   Awakened or not, she knew its every curve, every edge, every detail, down to the last millimeter.   
   She knew what her blade looked like, and  _that_ was her blade.   
   More importantly, the one holding the blade, her blade, was  _her son_.  
   There was no mistaking it. Kolivan had sent Krolia her own son in hopes that he would be the one to bring her back to the Blade of Marmora.   
   And Kolivan was right.   
   Under any other circumstances, she would have blown up the base while inside, but with her own son here, things were different. She had to protect him. She could only do that if they  _both_  got back to the base together.   
   "Krolia..." The operative said her name, somewhat surprised to see her.  
   The Galra lowered her weapon, keeping her eyes fixed on her blade. "You're late." She scolded.   
   Something inside of her hurt to use such an unfeeling and dominating tone. This was her son, yet she was acting as if he were any other being in the entire universe.   
   The operative lowered his weapon. "I'm Keith. Kolivan sent me to get you."  
   "I know who you are," Krolia huffed, placing her gun in its designated spot on her armor just below her hip. "We don't have much time, follow me."  
   Krolia led Keith down to the lower deck, where the super weapon was located. With her base already under attack from Trug, and the first level of defenses activated, she hurried to clear up any miscommunication between her and the other operative regarding the beast.   
   "Get to that console!" She ordered, running to an identical machine across the room. Krolia waited until Keith was in position before giving her next order, "we have to simultaneously enter  _this_  code!"  
   Just as she was about to give Keith the code, the doorway exploded, and from the smoke and debris, six armed sentries entered.   
The Marmoran opened her mouth to speak, but Keith, her son, was already a step ahead of her.   
   The boy lunged at the sentries, taking out the first one, and then the second one, slicing through their thick, metal armor as if it were paper. They had some skills, that was unquestionable.   
   It amazed her, so much so that for a solid five seconds, she didn't move a muscle.   
Until, of course, one of the sentries grabbed ahold of the human boy's shoulders, throwing him backwards towards Trug and the rest of her small crew. Keith had been thrown with such force, that his hands were pulled from the blade, leaving it in the chest of the sentry.   
   That was it. Krolia cocked her weapon, aiming and firing at the sentries. She took out the one that had grabbed her son, pulled her blade from its armor and threw it straight towards the fourth sentry. The operative shot at the remaining sentries, hurrying to grab her blade from the body of the last standing sentry.   
   "Drop your weapon!" Trug ordered.   
   Krolia let her arms hang at her sides, deactivating the blade. She instantly saw what Trug had done to her son. Though Keith wasn't hurt, he was on his knees, a gun pointed to the back of his head. "We can  _make_ a  _deal_." She was practically begging the other Galra as she held her hands above her head.   
   Keith seemed to have had a heart attack he was  _that_  surprised by her actions. "What are you doing?!" He asked, infuriated and confused. This was  _not_  what a Marmoran did. There were no soft spots in their hearts.   
   "I left you once." Krolia fixed her gaze on her son. "I'll  _never_  leave you again."  
Everything after that seemed like a dream, a miracle, an impossibility.   
   Krolia had tricked Trug into letting her  _and_  Keith escape in exchange for giving her access to the super weapon. This access, however, was not as simple as it seemed.   
   The second the doors opened, the super weapon would be free to roam the base as it pleased. Trug and her forces would all be killed, and by the beast they wished so much to control.   
   Trug, of course, had her own plans. Once Keith and Krolia were on a ship of their own, she gave orders for her crew to shoot them down.   
   Keith did his best to keep the ship steady, swerving around space debris and asteroids to avoid the rapid firing of the base's ion canon.   
After a while, things seemed to settle down.   
"We're out of range, they stopped firing at us..." The Human informed Krolia, sliding his seat back from the controls. He got to his feet in hopes of talking to the one who saved his life.   
   Krolia took her blade and held it out to Keith, gently cupping it in her hands. "I should give this back to you." She said.   
   Keith took the blade, sheathing it immediately. "How are you able to use it?" He asked out of pure curiosity.   
   "Because," the mother began, carefully choosing her words, "it used to be mine," she paused only for a second, "before I gave it to your father."  
   "Your my... Mom...? How...?!" Keith instantly thought of hundreds of millions of questions he  _needed_  answers to. "How did you get to Earth?! How-- How did you meet  _my dad_?! How are you so  _sure_?!?"  
   "I'm sure..." Slowly, Krolia raised a hand to touch her son's cheek. "Tihs isn't how I hoped to meet you again, and this isn't how I wanted to tell you, but it's the truth." With a sigh, she retracted her hand and regrettably added, "we can talk about this later."  
   "No!" His eyes went from her face to her hand, before focusing his attention on Krolia once more. "No!! You can't! You can't just abandon me for--for--" the boy took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts, "for my  _entire life_  and find me in space,  _claim_  to be my mother,  _pretend_  to love me and act like I just have to accept this and move on with the mission!"  
   "Abandon you...?!" Krolia shook her head repeatedly, "no! I didn't abandon you! I left to protect you, to keep you safe!"  
   "Well, you  _failed_!" Keith spat. "You failed. Just like how you failed at raising me."

"I can explain, but we  _must_  finish our mission."

"Then explain it to me  first! Explain it to me,  _Krolia!_ "

"We have more important things right now..." she told him, somewhat apologetically. "We need to find that quintessence."

 

 

***

 

 

   Krolia wanted to tell Keith everything, to explain that she loved him, but she had a mission to finish.   
   Keith tried to act like he didn't care, however, just like his father, he couldn't hide a lie from his mother.   
   The two had become stranded on an asteroid in the Quantum Abyss, the origin of the quintessence used to create the super weapon. Their ship had been attacked by some creatures, and they had to abandon it.   
   Keith stopped dead in his tracks, the space around them began to shake, and a light appeared far off in the distance.  
   The light approached the two of them rapidly, encasing the rocks, meteors, asteroids and chunks of destroyed planets as is swept towards them.   
   Krolia knew what this was, she had been here before, and she knew she had to protect herself  _and_ her son.   
   Unlike her, Keith had no knowledge of this place. He didn't know what this light was or what it could do. He felt his muscles tense up, and for seconds, he couldn't move. Keith knew he had to move to save himself, but he couldn't. Something inside of him held him still.   
   "Keith!" Instantly, Krolia recognized what was happening with her son. He was afraid and shocked, he was unable to get out of the light's path. Without thinking, the mother lept between Keith and the wall of light, tightly wrapping her arms around her son to protect him in hopes that he wouldn't have to experience the effects of the blast.   
   Suddenly, everything went white. Their surroundings had changed.   
   There was a building  off in the distance, some hundred yards away. As Krolia stepped towards it, she recognized it as a house. Her home. Tempted to get a better look, she took one more step before stopping.  
   A cry met her ears, an infant's cry. One she had never forgotten, but hasn't heard in years.   
 _"We'll name him Yorak..."_  
   She heard herself say.   
   Krolia saw, in front of her, a simple memory, one that normally brought her a great deal of joy. Her eyes fell on the infant in the memory, a soft, red-orange blanket wrapped around him, his hands held up to his chin, curled into tight fists.   
   That was her son. From the day he was born.   
   It hurt her to see this, to be reminded of how happy she had been, of the life she left behind, and of the family she abandoned.   
   She had been so wrapped up in the feelings inside of her, that she hadn't noticed the change in scenery. She was back in the Quantum Abyss, Keith, crouched just in front of her.   
   The young Marmoran gasped for air, skidding back a few inches, terrified by what he had just seen. "What was that?!" Keith asked, panicked. "We're those visions real?!"  
   Slowly, she nodded. "Going through the light triggers glimpses of the past, and the future."  
   Keith took a few moments to process her words before asking another question. "So... That was you...? With Dad... And..."  
   "Yes..." She didn't want to push all of the history of her and Steven onto her son just now, instead, she wanted him to learn when he was comfortable. Since he couldn't even mention that  _he_  was in the vision as well, Krolia chose not to mention it.   
   Just like she had said, whenever the two went through the light, they were shown a small part of the past.  _Their_  past.   
   Perhaps, for Krolia, the most painful of all, was having to relieve leaving her son. The regret of it all came back to her. She felt broken.   
   "I finally understand why you left..." Keith quietly said, bringing his mother back to reality. "You put the mission above all else..."  
   "That's not true..." The mother was quick to correct her son's misinterpretation. "I left to protect the person I love most..." Turning to face her son, tears brimming in her eyes, she forced a smile as she finished what she had to say, "...you..."  
   That alone made Keith gasp. Was she telling the truth? Did she truly leave to protect him like she had said?  
   The moment of realization was short lived, for a creature of the abyss broke the two's attention on one another.   
   A space whale, as they came to call it. A creature that created its own atmosphere, water, food and supplied habitats for many kinds of creatures. This creature became their home for two whole years.   
   Krolia had hoped to spend that time with just her son, but Keith had found a creature in need of assistance, a cosmic wolf, and decided to raise and care for it. She did not mind this all too much, as the wolf brought the two of them joy and happiness, Keith especially.   
   Cosmic wolves aside, Krolia was pleased to spend all of the time she could with Keith, training him, sparring with him, and building a home from a cave for the two of them to stay in. To Krolia, the most important part of this mission, was the time she spent simply talking to Keith, teaching him about her past, and of the time she spent with his father, as well as the infinite stories she told him about the eight months she had raised him.   
In return, Keith told her about his past, the orphanage, the Garrison, the few childhood memories he had, and of his team back on the Castle of Lions.   
   To put it simply, Krolia was just happy to have her son back, to talk to him, the guide him, and to love him.   
   For his whole life, Keith never once thought his mother loved him. He grew up hating her, but now, after meeting her, he finally understands. She loved him, and she  _still_  loves him. And for Keith, that is the only thing that matters.   
   His mother's love is all he ever wanted, and now, he finally knows he has it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second to last chapter of this story  
> I tried to make a happy ending, so I hope this worked  
> Of course... Keiht's father is dead... but let's not think about that right now :)
> 
> ~Picci


	28. The End Of It All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> {post s7 epilogue}

Word of the Paladin's final fight spread like wildfire throughout the coalition, and for Krolia, who was on her way back to Earth when the fight ended, she had more reason than anyone to get there.

She now sat in the hallways of the infirmary of the Galaxy Garrison. It had taken much convincing and negotiating with the security guards to even get inside. After being attacked by the Galra, the people of Earth weren't too keen on letting her inside the only fortified building remaining on the planet.

Even though she was inside, she was still not allowed to see her son, Keith, despite telling multiple guards that she was his mother. Not one of them believed her.

Seeing a member of the medical staff leaving one of the occupied rooms, Krolia took this chance as one last try to see her son. She had heard from simply listening in on conversations, that most of the Paladins were awake by now, and she refused to let Keith wake up in an empty room.

"Excuse me, sir." she grabbed his attention as politely as she could. "I am Krolia, with the Blade of Marmora, an group allied with the Paladins of Voltron."

The guard looked at her with unsure eyes. "Yes... I know of the organization. What do you want?"

"If you could, I would appreciate it if you would take me to the room where the Black Paladin is. He's my son, you see, and I'm the only family he has."

"Not a chance." they replied shaking their head. "He needs rest, and contact with your species will not help him to do so."

Your species?! Your species?! Not only is there lack of trust, but clearly a lack of compassion and thoughtfulness. Yes, Krolia is Galra, and yes, that race tried to take over the entire universe, but she's not with them.

"Please, sir, you have to let me through." Krolia begged the security officer, hiding how offended she was as best as she could.

   "Authorization is required. Family and friends only beyond this point."

   "But I am family."

   "None of the Paladins have you as someone they are related to. No Galra is on record as a parent of the Paladins."

   "But Ke—"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we have to take precautions."

Taking a deep breath, Krolia stared the guard down. "Keith is my son, and I deserve to see him...!"

   "Krolia!" A familial voice pulled her attention from the guard. A young girl of about eighteen or twenty—in human years—approached her and the guard.

   Krolia immediately recognized them. Romelle. The Altean that her and Keith had rescued.

   "Keith has not woken up yet, but he should soon. I can take you to him—" the Altean paused, looking to the officer. "This is Krolia. She is Keith's mother. I'm not surprised she's not on record. Your people don't exactly handle alien life well."

   The guard, being unprepared for this interaction, gave in.

   Romelle kept to her word, leading Krolia to the room where Keith was resting.

   "Thank you, Romelle."

   The young girl simply smiled, "don't mention it. Coran and I had some trouble getting in to see Allura. They're quite strict here."

   The Galran only nodded, thanked Romelle again and said goodbye.

   The door slid open with ease and the mother of the Black Paladin stepped in.

   Her eyes instantly fell on the bed. A boy, twenty or so years of agelay curled up under the light orange and white covers.

   "Keith..." her eyes filled with tears, but she refused to cry. Silently, she took a seat next to him, next to Keith, her son... her boy.

   The boy lay still, sleeping rather peacefully despite the bandages around his head and arms.

   Krolia slid her hand into his, stroking his fingers as she used to do when he was a young infant.

   Keith seemed to respond to her touch, simply closing his fingers around her hers.

   Feeling a wave of emotion overcome her, she desperately wanted to leave. After having to leave his side for a second time, and almost losing him forever due to his injuries, it's no wonder why she is, at present, so vulnerable to emotions that would, under normal circumstances, lay dormant. Krolia felt the need to leave the room, however she did not want to, and something was holding her there. Something actually kept her from leaving.

   Though he was unconscious, Keith had a somewhat tight grip around his mother's hand.

   She sat in silence until something caught her eye. She noticed her son's finger was twitching. Before she could even think about his sudden movements, some sound pulled her attention from their hands to her boy's face. A voice.

   "Mom...?" Keith weakly opened his eyes, focusing his attention on his mother.

   Krolia tightened her grip around her son's hand, smiling as she did so. "Hey, Keith."

   "Where..." he paused, looking at his surroundings, "where am I?"

   "You're in the Garrison. The hospital wing."

   He nodded holding tighter to his mother's hand. "Thank you... For coming back."

   "You're welcome."

   Keith forced himself to sit up, placing a hand to his head as a pulsating pain moved through his forehead. "How did you get here...?" He asked as the pain subsided.

   "I saw the lions go down. I saw the end of your fight." Taking a deep breath, she continued. "I probably wouldn't have been here so soon if I hadn't known of how your fight ended."

   "You just happened to be in the right place at the right time again, didn't you?"

   "Yeah... That's one way of putting it."

Keith weakly smiled at his mother, he was glad that he was not alone, and that she was there with him.

"So..." Krolia hummed quietly, thinking of what to say. "How are you feeling?"

"Great, actually." He answered sarcastically. "My entire body aches all over, and I have this wonderful headache which I'm pretty sure is a concussion."

The Marmoran smiled at her son's complete lack of concern for himself, at least mentally he was okay. "Well, I heard that you have in fact been given medical treatment to help with the pain, although, I think your planet definitely needs to work on their healing methods."

"We're a primitive species... It's not our fault."

"You are the black paladin, maybe you could persuade them to change their ways. Especially their security policies. I wasn't allowed to come see you until Romelle intervened."

Keith simply shrugged, "you're a Galra, Mom. Hamas don't trust aliens, remember?"

"You're father did..."

"Yeah... But not everyone is like him..."

Krolia pointed to her son, an affectionate smile on her lips, "you are." Gently, she tapped his nose, something she used to do when he was an infant.

The boy just smiled, he had nothing to say, he just felt calm and content with the situation at hand. He was with his mother again, and if it weren't for his personality and his tiredness, he would tell her how happy he was.

However, Keith didn't need to say anything, Krolia knows when her son is happy just by his facial expression. She doesn't need verbal confirmation, she just knows.

 

 

***

 

 

   Krolia made up her mind to stay with her son almost instantly. She wouldn't leave his room unless he did, nor would she leave his side unless he asked her to.

   Despite this promise, Krolia still wanted to visit a certain place dear to her heart. There was no question as to where she wanted to go. There was only one place Krolia wanted to go.

   Home.

By some miracle like happening, the area around the Blue Lion's cave was completely untouched by Galra forces, who focused most of their attacks on residential areas, and not on barren landscapes. That untouched area included the bit of land surrounding the home in which Keith grew up.

Keith would have taken her there in a heartbeat, but the Garrison officers refused to let him leave after only being in the hospital for less than seventy-two hours. Instead, Shiro offered to take her after overhearing the conversation between the mother and her son. At first, Krolia did not take him up on his offer, saying that he did not need to go out of his way like that. Shiro, however, wouldn't back down, and finally convinced her to say yes, and so, she went, taking Kosmo, with her.

 

 

***

 

 

Once they arrived, Shiro led her to the porch.

Krolia hesitated, touching the old and dusty support beams carefully.

   "Don't you want to go inside?" the former Black Paladin asked, ready to open the door on her command.

   "Yes, but... What if it's not what I want it to be...?"

   "Look, I don't think I'm in the right place to give you advice, nor do I think it'll do you any good, but this isn't what you want it to be. It's old, dusty, cluttered and probably infested with rodents and spiders since no one has been here in about five years." Seeing the horrified reaction on her face, Shiro hurried to finish his statement. "But it was Keith's home. It's your home. And there are a few things in here you might want to see."

"Things...? What things?"

"Not sure, but Keith had begged me not to show you this box of his personal belongings, and knowing Keith, it's probably some things from his childhood." The mad sighed, "I'm more or less so assuming that interests you..."

"It does..."

"Then I guess the only way to fin that is if we go in, right?"

   With a nod, she stepped onto the porch. The world around her went silent and she looked to her left, to the emptiness around the shed. The tree was gone, the tire swing too. But worst of all, the house was gone. The place where she had lived for almost three whole years. The home where she had met the love of her life, the fire place where they had late night conversations, the bedroom where she received warm, loving hugs, the home in which her child was conceived. The kitchen where she told the love of her life that they would be parents was gone, as well as the room where her son was born, the nursery she spent months making for him, and the porch on which she spent countless hours walking back and forth talking to her son to put him to sleep. All of it. It was all gone. Nothing remained. Nothing but her memories.

   Shiro wasn't an idiot. He could see this was hurting her. "I assume Keith said that there was a fire..." seeing her nod, he went on, "and that his dad saved him."

   Krolia said nothing, and only nodded. She couldn't bring herself to talk. She knew the house was gone, she knew why, she knew how, she knew everything. But seeing it in person was so much worse for her than just knowing about it.

   Sensing the change in mood of the situation, Kosmo tried to lighten their spirits. He nudged his nose against Krolia's hip, instantly rubbing against her legs.

   "We should go inside..." She suggested, petting the wolf's head gently.

 

 

***

 

 

Back at the Garrison, Keith had spent the entire time his mother was out resting in one way or another, either by sleeping, watching whatever was going on outside, or by mindlessly looking at the medical equipment around him.

With a click from the door, Keith knew that someone would enter, another member of the med staff, one of his teammates, or his mother. Regardless of who it was, he propped himself up with a pillow, leaning back against the headrest behind him. Lss than a second after the door opened, there was a flash of light blue light, and then, Kosmo was on top of him, his big paws resting on the Paladin's shoulders.

"Well so much for being gentle..." Krolia muttered, snapping her fingers, commanding the wolf to lie down or sit.

Kosmo obeyed her wishes, lying down next to Keith and licking his cheek.

"He has quite the way of letting me know he's back." Keith said with a sigh as he began petting the wolf at his side.

"That he does..."

It didn't take long before Keith noticed the box in his mother's hands. "That better not be the box I specifically told you to avoid." he grumbled, giving her a deadpan stare.

"If you're talking about the one with your journals and rather interesting diaries, no it is not."

"There's only one box."

Krolia shrugged, "Well, this one was the oldest, and didn't have your handwriting on it, so I bet you don't even know what's in here."

"Just tell me what it is." He asked of her to do so, hoping she would tell him sooner rather than later.

Carefully, she removed the lid of the old and tattered cardboard box. "I stumbled upon this one by pure accident. You can thank your friend, Shiro for being the one who actually found it."

Slowly, she took out the first of three items in the box. "Do you, Keith" she paused, holding up a small, orange piece of fabric, "know what this is?"

He simply shrugged, "nope. But I'm guessing it has some sort of value to you?"

"Yes, it does..." her tone softened as she went on. "This was the blanket your father and I chose for you. Plain in color, simple in pattern, but still soft and warm. Of course, over the past twenty-some years, it has lost a few threads and accumulated a whole lot of dust, but it is still your baby blanket."

"I didn't know this still existed..." what he meant by that, was that he thought it had been destroyed by the fire, the one that caused him to lose his father.

   "Apparently it does... But it's not mine." She smiled, handing it to her son. "It's yours."

   Keith took it from her, and rather graciously too. "I haven't seen this since I was five... It's... Nice seeing it again..."

   Kosmo, sensing a new smell in his general area, began sniffing the blanket in Keith's hands. He whined quietly after being unable to pick up any specific scent.

   The Marmoran gave a quiet giggle, amused by the wolf's actions. Her gaze slowly drifted to the box again, sighing contently as she ran her hand along the second item. "I also found this..." Krolia delicate picked up a small plush toy. A cartoonish lion. "She kept you company through the nights, and you never once let go of her..."

   The boy looked back to his mother, and then at the toy in her hands. "I assume, from what you've told me about your time with Dad that this was my lion, Little Blue?"

   "Yep... It's a stupid idea, but I thought she could resume her protective duties now, since she's not destroyed by flames and you look like you could do with a little moral booster."

   "It's not stupid..." he told her honestly, placing the blanket at his sides and gently taking the lion from his mother. "She definitely felt a lot softer in my childhood years..." Keith gave the tiniest chuckle as he stroked the well loved mane of the plush toy. "Thank you, Mom, for bringing these... Although... I might be too old for them now..."

   "I can take them back...!" Krolia was quick to try and fix the problem she had created.

   But there was no problem. Keith simply shook his head, "no... I wouldn't mind having some things from home with me. Lance has his entire family, Allura has the belongings she brought from The Castle, Hunk has Shay, and Pidge has... whatever she had in her lion. I think I should like to have my personal belongings as well."

   Krolia couldn't help but smile. Keith was either acting out of the goodness of his heart, or for the sheer fact thar he liked being reminded of his childhood— his happier days. "There was, actually, one more thing..." she said quietly, changing the topic of conversation. "A book of some of your most important moments as an infant and young child. It seems as though your father kept detailed notes of nearly everything you did..."

"I wouldn't put it past him..." The Paladin barely smiled, but it was a smile nonetheless. "Dad was... For the time he was around, the only person who payed any attention to me, and for what I knew, the only one who ever cared about me."

Slowly, Krolia placed a hand on her son's shoulder, giving a kind, loving, and supportive smile. "I can tell you miss him, even if you're too much like me to admit any sort of feeling you have."

"Mom, I like you, I really do, but you need to work on your timing when it comes to pointing out my flaws."

"I'm just glad you're able to at least admit that you love me. That's pretty important to me."

"Don't get all sappy on me. You're a Blade commander now. You're not allowed to show your emotions!" He teased, knowing full well his mother didn't care one bit about obeying the rules of the Blade of Marmora 

"Kolivan really beat that into your mind didn't he?" Krolia shook her head with a sigh. "What's that motto your teammate Pidge has? About what people don't know?"

Keith knew which one she was talking about, he had overheard Pidge use it to try and get the other Paladins to sneak out of their rooms the day before. "What Kolivan doesn't know, can't hurt him... You're really not kidding about this, are you?"

"I spent three years ignoring the number one rule the Blade has. Loving one person isn't going to do anything." With a playful smile, she tussled her son's black hair. "Besides, it no secret that I love you."

Giving a nod, Keith quietly said, "I love you too, Mom."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is absolutely shit  
> But I really wanted to do something with that final scene in s7e13  
> Me, being the mother-son relationship obsessed person i am when it comes to Krolia and Keith, truly just wanted to make a random epilogue that truly does not add to the story itself in anyway shape or form  
> But  
> All in all  
> I hope you enjoyed this long story  
> From finding the Blue Lion, to setting up the nursery, to Krolia holding her son for the first time, to her last, and all the way to their reunion  
> I hope you enjoyed the journey 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading   
> ~Picci


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